Trump: Resuming strikes on Iran is “extremely unlikely” if talks make progress
Key Facts
U.S. President Donald Trump said resuming strikes on Iran was “extremely unlikely” if negotiations made progress and a strong deal was signed, CNN reported after a phone interview with him on November 8. Reuters quoted Trump as saying it depended on signing a “very strong” deal, adding that “the answer is, it’s extremely unlikely that that would be necessary.” His remarks linked the possibility of avoiding new attacks to the course of negotiations and did not rule out military action unconditionally. The talks concern Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reported. The reference to negotiations came amid reports of maritime incidents in the strait and continued efforts by the parties to consider proposals for a deal.
In the same interview, Trump said three aircraft carriers were present and U.S. forces were ready. He also said Washington had identified power plants and bridges as potential targets if military action resumed. He said the number of bridges targeted was 38, but that he preferred not to destroy infrastructure. These figures and assessments are attributed to Trump, as are his statements about the aircraft carriers and military readiness. His remarks thus combined a conditional expectation that strikes could be avoided with the retention of military options, including targeting energy facilities and bridges.
On the diplomatic track, two regional officials told The Associated Press that Qatar had presented Iran with new proposals to address disagreements with the United States over the nuclear program. The officials said Iran was reviewing the proposals but was not ready at the time to negotiate before basic conditions were met. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had sent Washington a nuclear proposal through Qatar that the United States was reviewing. The Iranian official said discussions were contingent on Washington first meeting seven of Tehran’s demands. The reported statements point to two parallel tracks: Qatari proposals under review and an Iranian position that ties discussions to prior conditions.
Reuters reported on November 2 that Iranian negotiators had held talks in Doha with Qatari mediators, with the meetings ending in revised proposals but no breakthrough, while an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said the exchange of messages was continuing. The spokesman described Tehran’s seven-step plan as the basis for dialogue through mediators and said it had been shortened to make it possible to implement within two days. He added that discussion of the nuclear file was contingent on Iran verifying that its conditions had been met. Also on November 2, Trump said he was not considering striking Iran after the midterm elections and that a deal with Tehran “could happen.” These earlier remarks place his November 8 position within an ongoing negotiating process, with disagreements remaining over the terms of dialogue and the nuclear file.
Trump’s remarks coincided with reports of maritime incidents in or near the Strait of Hormuz on November 8. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said two tankers caught fire after hitting mines while attempting to pass through an “unauthorized route,” while Fars News Agency reported that a third tanker caught fire after an explosion. Reuters was unable to confirm the reported strikes. Qatar, meanwhile, denied reports on Saturday that Washington and Tehran had failed to reach a deal, saying the two sides were continuing to work toward one. The Strait of Hormuz and its reopening remain part of the negotiations that Trump said could make resuming strikes unnecessary if they made progress and produced a strong deal.
On the nuclear file, International Atomic Energy Agency data cited by The Associated Press indicate that Iran holds 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity. In the context of the negotiations, regional officials said the Qatari proposals aim to address U.S.-Iranian disagreements over the program, while the Iranian official said Washington was reviewing the nuclear proposal Tehran had submitted through Doha. Reuters reported that Qatar’s prime minister confirmed the two sides were continuing to work toward a deal. The reported statements do not specify a timeline for reaching an agreement, but tie any further progress to the review of proposals and disagreements over Iran’s conditions. In Trump’s formulation, avoiding military action remains tied to progress in negotiations and the signing of a strong deal.