Trump says Iran deal possible as renewed military strikes remain undecided

The immediate question is whether President Donald Trump will resume military strikes against Iran or reach a negotiated settlement. On October 31, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had not made that decision, according to Middle East Eye.

The decision came amid stalled peace talks, Arab News reported. Rubio said the US could achieve military objectives if it chose to, but his remarks did not announce a new operation.

On October 31, Rubio publicly left the decision with Trump. Reporting by Middle East Eye described the question as whether to resume military action, rather than whether to launch an initial attack.

On November 1, Trump said he was "in no hurry" to decide about striking Iran, according to Al Jazeera. His comments offered no deadline for a decision.

Trump also claimed that earlier US attacks had seriously weakened Iran and that its remaining nuclear facilities could be struck within "10 minutes," Anadolu Ajansı reported on November 1. Those were Trump's claims, not an announced military timetable.

By November 2, Trump was publicly raising the prospect of an agreement. He said Iran was interested in ending the war and that a deal "could happen," according to Arab News.

That diplomatic opening followed Iran's disclosure of indirect negotiations with Washington and an offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions, NDTV Top Stories reported. The supplied report does not specify those conditions.

In a Monday phone interview, Trump again said he was in "no rush" to decide whether to resume fighting, Axios reported. The interview came a day before the US midterm elections.

The latest coverage contains neither an announced decision to resume strikes nor a completed agreement. Trump's statement that a deal could happen signals a possibility, not a settlement, according to the account from Arab News.

Military action remains an option. Fox News reported that Trump and Rubio kept further strikes on the table, while CNBC International reported Rubio's preference for ending the war peacefully alongside reports that both sides were preparing for additional strikes after the elections. Those reports do not establish that Trump has ordered an attack.

The next concrete developments are whether the indirect negotiations produce an agreement and whether Iran's conditional offer on the Strait of Hormuz moves forward. NDTV Top Stories reported the offer, but the supplied coverage provides no agreed terms or implementation date.

The other pending decision is Trump's choice on renewed military action. Although Fox News reported that strikes were unlikely before the midterms, Trump's latest comments to Axios gave no deadline for deciding afterward.