Trump planning new military assault or tighter sanctions, say Iranian officials

The assessment comes from Mehdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Mohammadi said on his Telegram channel that the Americans had proposed a timeframe of about two weeks after which Trump would make a decision on military action.

Mohammadi, regarded as a reliable indicator of Ghalibaf's thinking, cast doubt on Trump's claim that the military option was off the table. He claimed Washington was preparing for a limited strike and Iran was already preparing a response.

Sanctions and Retaliation

If US sanctions continued, Mohammadi said, a comprehensive pre-emptive war would be needed "to increase the cost of sanctions for the enemy". He described the US response to Iran's latest proposals on reopening the strait of Hormuz as "not only unsatisfactory but completely deceptive".

Strait of Hormuz Standoff

For now, Trump has settled on a strategy of suffocating Iran through economic pressure and tightening the blockade on its oil exports while facilitating those of other Gulf states through Hormuz. Iran has rejected a request from US Vice-President JD Vance for a direct meeting before responding to Tehran's conditions for lifting the siege on the strait.

Despite Iranian claims that their blockade is working, Brent crude is at a relatively low $93 a barrel, while Saudi oil production is near prewar levels of 9.3m barrels a day. Iran recently bombed a US radar post on the Omani island of Didamar in an attempt to close any loopholes.

Nuclear Stance and Warnings

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's national security council, told Russia that Iran was not prepared for any of its highly enriched uranium stockpile to leave the country, saying it might be needed for planned nuclear-powered submarines.

Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, warned Europe that any complicity in the US blockade would be "an act of war that will be etched in the nation's historical memory". Tehran has been increasingly clear that US bases in Europe will be targeted if fighting resumes.

Political Pressure

Marco Rubio gave the impression this week that the policy of economic strangulation was sufficient and described Iran's demands as unrealistic. However, Trump is under pressure to resolve the crisis before Democrats take charge of Congress on January 3.

A Reuters Ipsos poll shows 71% of Americans want Congress to pass legislation to end the war in Iran. The midterm elections showed the conflict is highly unpopular, but Democrats lack a strategy to end it and open the strait of Hormuz, potentially leaving the political initiative with the White House and an increasingly hardline Iranian leadership.