US President Donald Trump is considering new options for a military operation against Iran, but has not yet decided to resume large-scale strikes. Meanwhile, differences have emerged between Washington and Tel Aviv over further actions: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists on a rapid return to a force-based scenario, while the American president wants to give more time to diplomacy.
The Atlantic and Axios report this, citing American and Israeli officials and interlocutors familiar with the course of consultations.
According to The Atlantic, last week US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine presented new military options against Iran to Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The administration is discussing operations of varying duration - from short strikes to a campaign that could last several weeks. An alternative option remains maintaining a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz with simultaneous diplomatic pressure on Tehran.
Advocates of a military scenario believe that additional strikes could force Iranian leadership back to negotiations. However, some American officials and experts doubt that a new operation will secure concessions from Iran and warn of the risk of further escalation.
Particular differences emerged between Trump and Netanyahu. According to Axios, on October 31 the leaders had a tense phone call devoted to negotiations with Iran and a possible resumption of hostilities.
Sources cited by the outlet say that the Israeli prime minister is insisting on new strikes immediately after the US midterm election scheduled for November 3.
Trump, for now, prefers to continue diplomatic consultations. According to Axios sources, this position worries Netanyahu, who doubts the effectiveness of negotiations with Tehran.
The White House and the Israeli prime minister's office refused to comment on the content of the conversation.
Diplomatic contacts continue with Qatar as mediator. Last week Vance sent a letter to Iranian leadership representative Mohsen Rezaei proposing to resume direct negotiations, including on the nuclear program.
According to Axios, Qatari mediators held consultations with the Iranian side for a third consecutive day on November 1. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that there is still no agreement to resume negotiations.
Against the backdrop of discussing a new military scenario, Trump has also begun asking questions about the performance of Pentagon leadership.
As The Atlantic reports, citing two advisers close to the president, the American leader has been asking for assessments of the performance of Hegseth and Caine, who played key roles in planning the war against Iran.
According to the publication's interlocutors, Trump is unhappy that the conflict is lasting much longer than his advisers initially forecast. The White House is also concerned about the political and economic consequences of the war on the eve of the congressional elections.
Some sources cited by The Atlantic suggest that Hegseth provided overly optimistic assessments of the military campaign's progress to the president.
The Pentagon rejected these claims. Its spokesman Sean Parnell said that the defense secretary provides US leadership with full information on the military situation.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly also emphasized that Trump and his administration fully trust Hegseth and Caine. No personnel decisions regarding them have been officially announced.
Another factor restraining Washington from a new large-scale operation remains risks to the global energy market.
Resuming strikes on Iran could provoke a new rise in oil prices and increase economic pressure on the US and its allies. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which important energy supply routes pass, is of particular significance.
The Atlantic also cites an assessment by an unnamed American official, according to which the change in Trump's stance on Ukraine is partially related to a desire to increase Russian energy supplies to the world market. According to the publication's source, this could help contain prices in the event of new escalation in the Middle East.
At the same time, this assertion is not an officially confirmed explanation of Washington's policy toward Ukraine.
Earlier it was reported that the US and Israel were preparing a new military operation against Iran after the midterm elections. However, according to the latest information from The Atlantic, Trump has not yet ordered strikes and continues to assess the proposed scenarios.
Based on materials from: The Atlantic, Axios
