Limited U.S. strikes in the Strait of Hormuz on Nov. 2 came as President Donald Trump weighed wider operations, the Associated Press reported, leaving the prospect of renewed fighting unresolved.
U.S. forces had struck Iranian targets, but the AP characterized the operation as narrow and defensive rather than a resumption of full-scale hostilities. The AP reported Trump did not appear to have decided on a wider air campaign. Axios separately reported that he felt no urgency about deciding whether to resume fighting. The question follows EconoTimes' earlier coverage of Trump's position.
A Nov. 4 Al Jazeera program said Iran claimed it was ready with a maximum deterrence plan and revisited an earlier Trump warning that the United States could attack after the midterm elections. The program said diplomatic intermediaries were working to advance an agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Al Jazeera said Republicans lost their majorities in the House and Senate and that Trump acknowledged the Iran war had partly contributed to the election setback. The AP also reported that the conflict and its effect on gasoline prices were vulnerabilities for Republicans.
Qatari mediators met Iranian officials twice in the week before Nov. 2, the AP reported. The proposed framework linked a halt to Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz with Washington ending its blockade of Iranian ports. The AP had reported that more talks were planned during the week of Nov. 2.
