Trump tells advisors he could hold off attacks on Iran if no new provocations: report

US President Donald Trump has told senior advisers in recent days that he may hold off on further attacks on Iran provided there are no new provocations from Tehran or the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to three people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.

Trump has alternated between threats of escalation and signals of winding down the conflict, which the United States launched alongside ‘Israel’ in February.

Current and former officials say he has not settled on a clear path to resolve the unpopular war.

In meetings with national security advisers and after a series of intelligence briefings, however, he indicated he was considering restraint, the sources cited by the report said.

He has also shown sympathy for regional allies who have urged him not to return to full-scale fighting.

“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,” Trump told sports broadcaster Stephen A. Smith on Thursday.

In phone calls over the past two weeks, Trump sought views from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Both leaders pressed him not to resume attacks on Iran, according to a senior US official and another person familiar with the discussions.

Trump made no commitments either way.

On October 31 he had told the Saudi crown prince he planned a strike after the US midterm elections; the prince asked him to wait, arguing that economic sanctions were already producing results.

US intelligence assessments conclude that the naval blockade and sanctions are damaging Iran’s economy and that renewed strikes would not significantly alter Tehran’s negotiating demands, two officials said.

Briefings have also highlighted that some US precision munitions stockpiles have fallen to concerning levels.

A White House official stressed that Trump “is the architect and sole decision-maker” and that “only President Trump knows what he will do, and when.”

At the same time the US military remains prepared to escalate.

A third aircraft carrier is moving into the Middle East in the coming days to replace one of the two already operating there, though all three could remain if needed, according to people familiar with planning.

‘Israel’ continues to lobby for renewed strikes, while Iran has warned of an “immediate and decisive response” to any new attacks.

Tensions persist in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian forces recently claimed oil tankers struck naval mines after using unauthorized routes.