Washington — Facing mounting political pressure after a bruising defeat in the midterm elections, U.S. President Donald Trump is weighing whether to order a resumption of military strikes against Iran, nearly nine months into an escalating regional conflict.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, President Trump adopted a combative yet cautious tone regarding Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Iran will not do anything without our approval," Trump said. "It doesn't matter what they are reviewing. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."

When pressed on whether the U.S. military campaign would expand, Trump suggested that decisions were imminent. "Now we will decide whether we are going to go further in Iran or not, to do things properly so that this never happens again," he remarked. "I don't want to destroy the rest of Iran, but maybe we have to. We'll find out soon."

The deliberations come as diplomatic efforts reach an impasse. According to regional reports, Tehran recently communicated its baseline demands to Washington through Qatari intermediaries. Iran has doubled down on its preconditions for engagement—demanding the total lifting of maritime blockades, the removal of oil sanctions, and the unfreezing of overseas assets before any talks begin.

Tehran has firmly rebuffed Washington’s preliminary demands, which included shipping enriched uranium abroad and readmitting international inspectors to sensitive nuclear sites. Emboldened by the Republican party's severe losses in the U.S. midterms, Iranian leadership has cast the political outcome as a referendum defeat for the Trump administration's foreign policy.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei reinforced this defiant posture earlier in the week, warning that any diplomatic compromise would invite further aggression and squander Iran's strategic gains.

The political calculus in Washington has shifted dramatically following the election. Administration hawks argue that ending the conflict without a verifiable rollback of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would leave the White House politically vulnerable, failing to deliver the core objective used to justify the war. Defense planners have reportedly analyzed additional targets, including the deeply buried facility at Pickaxe Mountain, in hopes of striking a definitive blow that would allow the administration to declare victory and exit the conflict.

Conversely, domestic constraints are mounting. Vice President JD Vance and other key administration figures have expressed reservations about prolonged military commitments, while Treasury officials have urged a heavier reliance on economic pressure rather than renewed bombing campaigns. Analysts note that Trump’s recent emphasis on round-the-clock surveillance of Iranian facilities may signal a preference for containment over immediate escalation as naval reinforcements steam toward the Middle East.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]