US President Donald Trump is “seriously considering” launching fresh strikes against Iran if last‑minute negotiations fail to produce a peace deal, US outlet Axios reported on May 23. Trump convened a White House meeting with senior national security officials the same morning as Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir visited Tehran, joined by a Qatari delegation, in a last‑ditch effort to broker an agreement. Two US officials told Axios the meeting was held to discuss the war with Iran and the possibility of new military action should diplomacy collapse.
According to sources who have spoken directly with the president, Trump is prepared to order new strikes unless negotiators secure a breakthrough. Those sources said the president has become increasingly frustrated by the talks over recent days and has discussed the option of a final, “decisive” military operation after which he could declare victory and end the war. A source close to Trump said his stance shifted from wanting to give diplomacy another chance earlier in the week to leaning toward military action by Thursday night.
Pakistani chief Asim Munir was expected to meet on Saturday with Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a key actor in Tehran’s decision‑making. Axios quoted a US official familiar with the diplomatic efforts as describing the negotiations as “agonising,” with draft agreements “going back and forth every day” and little visible progress.
The Friday meeting at the White House included Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other senior officials, two US officials told Axios. Speaking at a White House event, Trump said, “Iran is dying to make a deal. We’ll see what happens. But we hit them hard, and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They cannot have it.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Sweden at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, described only “slight progress” in the talks and cautioned against overstating the developments, saying there had been “a little bit of movement, and that’s good.” Trump, who had travelled to New York for a political rally ahead of the November midterms, cancelled a planned weekend at his Bedminster golf club and returned to the White House Friday evening; he also posted that he would miss his son Don Jr.’s wedding that weekend “due to circumstances pertaining to government and my love for the United States of America,” adding that he felt it was important to remain in Washington during this critical period. (PTI)
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/05/24/us-president-seriously-considering-launching-new-strikes-against-iran/
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Publish Date: 2026-05-24 05:32:00
