As Tehran has shown inclination towards a war-ending dialogue with the United States, President Donald Trump has once again upped the ante saying ramped up military strikes against Iran were “possible” after the November midterm elections.
The US-Iran war has been simmering for around seven months now and all attempts to resolve the conflict have failed to yield any conclusive results. The two sides seemed far from agreement even at the recent United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
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What has Iran said?
On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran will never shy away from dialogue with the US, Reuters reported.
"We have never shied away from talks, and we never will, although the United States has targeted our country three times despite having signed an agreement," the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted him as saying.
This comes after Trump rejected the terms of a proposed ceasefire with Iran. Reports in the US media said he has told aides that he expects a renewed bombing campaign against Iran after the November midterm elections, HT reported earlier.
{{/usCountry}}This comes after Trump rejected the terms of a proposed ceasefire with Iran. Reports in the US media said he has told aides that he expects a renewed bombing campaign against Iran after the November midterm elections, HT reported earlier.
{{/usCountry}}The development amid Washington and Tehran's continued negotiation through mediators, including during the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week in New York. Trump has also said he expects more talks with Iran this week.
Trump on Saturday said he had rejected the terms of a proposed Iranian peace plan that would have led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a pause in fighting across the region.
Trump's ramped up bombing threat
In an interview with the Times magazine, Trump said that ramped up military strikes against Iran after the November midterm elections were a possibility. He has lately indicated that he believed Iran was stalling on diplomatic talks until after the elections.
Asked if he would resume bombing Iran after the midterms, Trump told Time magazine in an interview published Thursday that it was “possible.”
“I can’t tell you that because look, you know, you’re asking, where are you going to bomb,” he was quoted as saying.