US President Donald Trump told Axios's Barak Ravid that he is considering launching an attack on Iran on a scale beyond all previous attacks.
"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump said.
Trump added that Israel would join the US military's operation if he asked, but said that the US does not need the help in order to carry out the strikes he is considering.
Addressing the attempts to revive talks to end the conflict, Trump said that the Iranian regime has not "received enough pain yet."
Trump warned earlier today that the US would hold the Iranian regime responsible if its proxy, the Houthi terrorist organization, attacked civilian vessels.
"A year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis, for their interference with commerce and trade, by shooting at ships. Since that time, and during our conflict with Iran, they have acted very responsibly. Unfortunately, now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
"Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves, who I am very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart," he said.