A White House official said that Trump had “all options available at any time”
Some advisers have therefore pushed for renewed military action before January, although the president has yet to make a decision. Citing two US officials, NBC News reported that administration and defence officials had told Trump that a new Congress could complicate any military campaign through investigations, restrictions on funding or resolutions seeking to block further strikes.
US President Donald Trump’s advisers have urged him to launch fresh military strikes against Iran before a new Democratic-controlled Congress takes office in January, warning that the window for military action could narrow once lawmakers return to Washington, according to a report by NBC News. A White House official told NBC News that Trump had “all options available at any time”, adding that only the president knew what he would do and when. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, has been pursuing negotiations with Tehran in an attempt to prevent another round of conflict. A fresh military campaign, if authorised, could be shorter but more intense than previous operations, with Iran’s oil and gas infrastructure and nuclear facilities, including the Pickaxe Mountain site, among the potential targets discussed with Trump. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has also held telephone conversations with regional counterparts, including officials from Iraq and Tunisia, to discuss diplomatic efforts. Tehran’s proposed framework reportedly includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz, setting a timetable for negotiations and addressing its nuclear programme.