Trump Eyes Military Strikes on Iran as Talks Stall

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump is increasingly open to resuming suspended military operations against Iran, driven by deepening frustration over stalled ceasefire negotiations, media reported Monday, citing anonymous sources close to the discussions.

Trump's displeasure centers on Iran's persistent closure of the Strait of Hormuz and what he perceives as deep internal divisions among Tehran's top leadership, according to sources who spoke with media.

The president publicly condemned Iran's latest response to Washington's peace proposal Sunday, branding it "totally unacceptable" — remarks he followed with a stark warning delivered from the White House Monday.

"I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support, where the doctor walks in and says, 'Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living'," Trump said in subsequent remarks he delivered at the White House Monday.

Sources confirmed to media that Tehran's reply has prompted senior US officials to question whether Iran holds any genuine commitment to achieving a permanent end to the conflict through diplomacy.

Within the administration, a faction centered in the Pentagon is urging Trump to adopt a harder line — including authorizing precision strikes designed to erode Iran's leverage at the negotiating table, media reported. A competing bloc, however, continues to advocate for exhausting all remaining diplomatic channels before any military escalation.

Regional actors including Pakistan have attempted to relay to Iranian leadership that Trump's patience has run its course and that a negotiated resolution must be seized now, media reported, citing regional officials. Those warnings, the sources indicated, have gone unheeded in Tehran.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf struck a defiant tone Monday, posting on X that the country's armed forces are "ready to give a memorable lesson to any aggression."

"Wrong strategies and wrong decisions always produce wrong results. The whole world has already understood this," he said on the American social media platform.

Qalibaf further declared that Iran stands ready for "all options," cautioning that adversaries "will be surprised." In a separate post, he insisted there was "no alternative" but for Washington to recognize the rights of the Iranian people as outlined in Tehran's 14-point proposal.

"Any other approach will be completely inconclusive; nothing but one failure after another," Qalibaf wrote.

The media outlet separately reported that Trump convened with his national security team Monday to evaluate courses of action regarding Iran. Sources told the outlet that no final decision on restarting military operations is expected before the president departs for China Tuesday afternoon.

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