Trump Tells Advisers He May Hold Off on Further Iran Strikes Barring New Provocations

President Donald Trump has told senior advisers in recent days that he may hold off on new attacks against Iran if the United States faces no additional provocations from Tehran or the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The private comments build on public statements playing down an immediate return to major warfare.

Trump has alternated between threats of escalation and signals that the military phase is effectively over since the conflict began in February alongside Israel. In meetings with national-security advisers and after intelligence briefings, he indicated he was considering restraint and expressed sympathy for regional allies who have asked him not to resume full-scale strikes, the people said.

On Thursday he told broadcaster Stephen A. Smith, “I could end it immediately, but at the request of the nations that I am looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a bit more civilly.” A White House official stated that Trump “holds all the cards” and that the United States is in a strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s economy under pressure.

In phone calls over the past two weeks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan both urged Trump not to resume attacks, arguing that economic sanctions are working. Trump asked for their views but made no commitment. He had earlier told bin Salman he was planning post-election strikes; the crown prince asked him to hold off.

U.S. intelligence assesses that the naval blockade and sanctions continue to damage Iran’s economy. At the same time, the military remains positioned to escalate: a third aircraft carrier is moving into the region, and all three could remain if needed. Briefings have noted that some precision-munition stockpiles have drawn down. Trump could still order further strikes on underground nuclear facilities, though prior strikes have already occurred and their additional effect is uncertain.

Israeli officials continue to press for another campaign. Trump, however, posted on Thursday that no deal with Iran is required: “We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!” He also directed Vice President JD Vance to shift full attention to domestic blue-state fraud issues.

The war has raised global fuel prices and proved unpopular with voters; a Reuters/Ipsos poll before the midterms found 55 percent of Americans said it was not worth the cost. Vance publicly attributed Republican losses in part to the conflict. The new private guidance does not rule out future action if provocations occur, and military options remain available. It does, however, reflect a preference for continued economic and blockade pressure over immediate further kinetic escalation unless circumstances change.