Summary of this article
Trump is considering renewed military strikes on Iran after diplomatic efforts stalled.
The US and Israel are conducting major joint military preparations following last month’s ceasefire.
Trump said the US and China agree that Iran “can’t have nuclear weapons” and the Strait of Hormuz must reopen.
US President Donald Trump is weighing whether to resume military strikes on Iran as diplomatic efforts remain stalled, with US military planners preparing contingency options and Washington’s allies pushing for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The situation has intensified following Trump’s visit to China, where Iran and Taiwan were central topics in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China, a major strategic partner of Iran and heavily dependent on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, shares the US position that Tehran should not acquire nuclear weapons, Trump said after the meetings.
According to The New York Times, Trump’s advisers are preparing plans for possible renewed air strikes if he chooses military action over diplomacy. The report said Pentagon officials are also preparing for a potential restart of Operation Epic Fury under a different operational name after last month’s ceasefire.
The newspaper further reported that US and Israeli forces are conducting their largest joint military preparations since the ceasefire. Two Middle East officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said preparations are underway for possible strikes as early as next week.
Even as several countries attempt to negotiate a compromise that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease regional tensions, Trump dismissed Iran’s latest proposal.
"I looked at it, and if I don't like the first sentence I just throw it away," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving Beijing as he dismissed Iran's latest peace proposal.
Trump said Iran and the Strait of Hormuz were discussed extensively during his meetings with Xi, although he added that he did not ask China to pressure Tehran directly.
The US and China have agreed that "Iran can't have nuclear weapons" and that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened, Trump said, according to a report by news agency ANI.
"I have a lot of respect for him. On Iran, he feels strongly that they can't have a nuclear weapon, said that very strongly, they can't have a nuclear weapon, and he wants them to open up the strait. But as he said, they close it and you close them. And it's true, we (the US) control the strait, and they (Iran) have done no business in the last two and a half weeks, which is approximately $500 million a day," Trump said.
Trump also said Taiwan featured prominently in his conversations with Xi. According to Reuters, the Chinese president privately warned that disagreements over Taiwan could lead to clashes or conflict between the United States and China.
"In return, Trump said Xi does not want to see a "fight for independence" in Taiwan because that would be a very strong confrontation. "We had a great stay; it was an amazing period of time. President Xi is an incredible guy. President Xi and I talked a lot about Taiwan. He thinks they cannot have anything to do with what they're doing. He's very much against what they're doing. We talked about Taiwan and we talked about Iran a lot, and I think we have a very good understanding on both."
Taiwan remained the most important issue for China during the discussions. Beijing considers the self-governed island part of its territory, while Taiwan continues to operate with its own government and military.
(With inputs from NDTV)
