US President Donald Trump is inclined to authorize a renewal of military operations against Iran in some capacity, following profound frustration with the regime's behavior at the negotiating table, according to two senior US officials who spoke to Channel 12 News on Monday evening.
Trump, who had sought to reach a diplomatic accord, was reportedly taken aback by Iran's refusal to meet his core demands. This recalcitrance has effectively pushed the military option back to the forefront of strategic planning.
This sharp pivot follows a ten-day wait for an official Iranian response, which was eventually delivered to the administration in Washington via Pakistani and Qatari mediators.
Throughout the recent period, the President received highly optimistic briefings from his negotiating team - including Vice President JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner - who had assessed that Iran was on the verge of signing an agreement.
Earlier on Monday, Trump intensified his rhetoric towards Iran after it submitted a response to the US proposal to end the war which Trump said was unacceptable.
“Iran’s proposal is stupid. I didn’t even finish reading it. I had an amazing plan after Iran was defeated. They must understand that they will not have nuclear weapons. They are dangerous," Trump declared during an event at the White House.
He emphasized that “the ceasefire is very weak after the piece of garbage they sent us."