US President Donald Trump convened a high-level briefing Friday alongside senior cabinet officials and top national security advisers to evaluate a potential expansion of military operations against Iran, according to four sources informed on the proceedings quoted by The New York Times.
The White House discussions signal a critical juncture in US strategy toward Tehran following the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire and a companion memorandum of understanding designed to resume diplomatic negotiations for a comprehensive denuclearization agreement.
Trump offered a glimpse into his decision-making process during a Thursday interview with Axios, telling Barak Ravid, “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it."
The president also suggested Israeli forces would likely not participate in any prospective wave of strikes, noting potential "consequences" for the country, an apparent reference to retaliatory strikes from Tehran.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to arrive in the United States on Monday for talks with Trump, according to the prime minister's office.
The initial truce collapsed after an Iranian drone strike struck a commercial vessel navigating the Strait of Hormuz late last month, triggering subsequent naval strikes. In response, Washington reinstated air raids on Iranian targets alongside a military blockade targeting the strategic maritime corridor.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)