President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is close to deciding whether to launch a “massive attack” on Iran, potentially larger than the strikes carried out during Operation Epic Fury. “I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” Trump told Axios.
Trump did not give a deadline for the decision. Two U.S. officials said no final call has been made and no new military orders have been issued, despite the president’s statement that American forces are prepared for a new operation.
Trump said Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to,” but added that “we don’t need anybody” to carry out the attack. He also said there would be “consequences” for Israel joining the strikes, without elaborating.
The president said Iran wants negotiations but is not currently prepared to accept a deal. “They haven’t received enough pain yet,” he said. Two regional sources familiar with mediation efforts said Iran’s leadership has not accepted the latest proposal, with one saying, “We are trying, but the Iranians are not being helpful.”
The warning comes as the United States has intensified attacks over the past 12 days in an effort to halt Iranian strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has continued escalating, while Iran-backed Houthis have renewed attacks on Saudi ships in the Red Sea. Trump warned that further Houthi attacks would lead Washington to hold Iran responsible and said “major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves.” Oil prices have risen above $100 per barrel amid the widening crisis.