US President Donald Trump is considering postponing additional military strikes against Iran if Tehran and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement refrain from further provocations, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with recent discussions.
According to the report, Trump raised the possibility during meetings with senior national security advisers and following intelligence briefings. However, he has not reached a final decision on whether to resume major military operations.
The President has repeatedly shifted between threatening renewed attacks and suggesting that the conflict could be brought to an end.
Trump has also expressed sympathy for Middle Eastern allies who oppose another major escalation.
"I could end it immediately, but at the request of the nations that I am looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a bit more civilly," Trump told broadcaster Stephen A. Smith on Thursday.
Reuters reported that Trump sought advice from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during telephone conversations over the past two weeks. Both leaders urged him to avoid resuming strikes, although he made no commitment.
During an October 31 conversation, Trump reportedly told the Saudi crown prince that he intended to attack Iran after the US midterm elections. Bin Salman appealed to him to reconsider, arguing that economic sanctions were already weakening Tehran.
Trump has also spoken with Erdogan three times since October 28. According to the Turkish presidency, their November 7 conversation emphasized the need to end tensions between Washington and Tehran.
American intelligence assessments indicate that the US naval blockade and economic sanctions are damaging Iran's economy and are likely to maintain pressure on the regime.
The US military is also seeking to prevent weapons and sanctioned materials from reaching Iran through land routes and the Caspian Sea, expanding its existing restrictions on Iranian maritime traffic.
Despite the possibility of delaying additional strikes, American forces remain prepared for renewed military action.
Three sources familiar with US planning told Reuters that a third aircraft carrier is heading toward the Middle East to replace one of the two already deployed there. All three could remain in the region if circumstances require.
Another option under consideration is a renewed attack on Iran's underground nuclear facilities, although those sites have already been targeted and the effectiveness of further strikes remains uncertain.
US intelligence officials have also assessed that additional military attacks would be unlikely to substantially alter Iran's negotiating demands.
Meanwhile, Trump has received briefings about American weapons inventories, including shortages of certain precision munitions.
Reuters previously reported in August that the military had exhausted “virtually all" of its long-range precision munitions. A source familiar with the situation said those supplies had not yet been replenished.
The White House rejected suggestions that ammunition shortages could restrict the President's military options.
"The United States Military has enough munitions and ammo to serve all of the Commander-in-Chief’s strategic goals and beyond," a White House official said.
Addressing Trump's deliberations, the official emphasized that the President alone would determine the administration's next steps.
"As Commander-in-Chief, President Trump is the architect and sole decision-maker who holds all the cards and will always ensure that America’s interests are protected," the official stated. "The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing. Only President Trump knows what he will do, and when."
Neither the CIA nor the Office of the Director of National Intelligence responded to requests for comment, while Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry also declined to provide a response.
Trump made clear Thursday that further strikes against Iran remain an option.
Speaking with the Salem News Channel, the President was asked whether he would hesitate to order another military attack against the Iranian regime.
"No. No hesitation. We're doing very well with it right now. We're taking out more oil now than we did before the, if you call it a war, before the war started. We're taking out more oil," Trump responded.
He also defended the results of the American military campaign, emphasizing the damage inflicted on Iran and the absence of recent US military fatalities.
"And you know, the thing about the war. We've been fighting, you know, pretty, at a pretty rapid clip for three weeks, not seven months, for three weeks. Nobody's been killed in the last five months. You know, in Russia, they're losing 25,000 people a month between Russia and Ukraine, mostly soldiers. We haven't lost a soldier in five months and we control the Gulf...but the answer is if I saw things going the other way, I would, I would do that. And it's, it's possible I would do it right now," Trump added.