Trump to Axios: "No rush" to decide on restarting war in Iran

Context

President Trump told Axios in a phone interview Monday he's "in no rush" to decide whether to resume fighting in Iran. Why it matters: The midterm elections have been seen as an inflection point for Trump on whether to unleash a massive bombing campaign to try to bring the war to an end. But it appears the president, at least for now, will continue pursuing dual tracks — letting negotiations play out while preparing to go back to war if he concludes a deal isn't possible. What he is saying: "One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially. They have no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it," Trump said in the interview. Driving the news: Qatari mediators have written a draft agreement outlining a three-day sequence of confidence-building measures aimed at resuming direct U.S.-Iran negotiations, according to regional sources. A diplomat with knowledge of the situation said the Qatari mediators are waiting for feedback from the U.S. and Iran. Trump is giving diplomacy a chance but is clear-eyed about the chances of reaching a deal. "We are talking to them. It's going fine. The problem with them is ... they try and tap tap tap [us along]. There's less urgency [on the Iranian side] than you think there would be, but they want to make deal more than they ever wanted," Trump said. Between the lines: Trump is weighing three courses of action, backed by three different camps: Make a deal: Vice President Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff are urging him to move toward a deal because a renewed war might not change the situation for the better. Most Gulf countries support this position and have communicated that to Trump, sources say. Go back to battle: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to resume combat, as does Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They argue that Iran can't be trusted to make a deal let alone abide by one, and that Trump should finish the job militarily. Maximum economic pain: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are advising Trump to maintain the "no war, no deal" status quo and allow the economic pressure campaign to continue, sources said. Ratcliffe told Trump that prolonged economic pain will induce Iran to make more concessions — or create enough instability inside the country that citizens revolt, a source with direct knowledge said. The CIA declined to comment. The other side: Iran's civilian leadership sounded hopeful on Monday about the prospects of reaching a deal. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei "granted the government certain authorities" to try to reach an agreement through diplomacy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that the diplomatic exchanges "have become very intensive." "Qatar and Pakistan are playing very active roles as mediators. We have presented our conditions and our proposal, and everything depends on Washington's political rationality. If they choose genuine diplomacy, we are ready to engage. But if they intend to engage in deception and military operations, they will face a response more painful and severe than in the past," he said. Araghchi said that if the U.S. accepts Tehran's conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, then "negotiations will resume." "Otherwise, the current situation will continue, and Iran will not bow down," he said. The big picture: Russia and China are taking an active role in the effort to reach a deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Monday with Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Gen. Mohsen Rezaei. The two discussed the efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement. Rezaei, who is very close to Khamenei, was also the recipient of a letter Vance sent recently proposing to resume negotiations. Russia has also offered to be part of any nuclear agreement, including by receiving Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. At the same time, Rezaei's deputy visited Beijing on Monday and met with the Chinese foreign minister. China is also urging the U.S. and Iran to resume direct negotiations to end the war.

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