The midterm elections were a setback for the Republicans after the Democrats winning a control of the US House and the Senate. But despite a drubbing, it does not seem that President Donald Trump is looking to ease the situation in the Middle East. In fact, he held crucial meetings with the national security team on Thursday, holding deliberations on whether to resume strikes on Iran.
According to a report by Fox News, the meetings were held at the White House on Wednesday and Thursday. During the meeting, officials told Trump about November 9, which marks a new Moon in the Middle East, which means there would be “little moonlight”. The conditions, therefore, would be “favorable for military operations”, officials said, indicating a resumption of strikes.
‘Will decide soon’
Coincidently, the 80-year-old Republican leader said on Thursday that he would soon make a decision on whether the US should resume the strikes. The Israelis have kept urging the Americans to relaunch the strikes, which has caused differences between the two sides, as many Republicans have blamed the ongoing conflict for their loss in the midterms.
“I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to… You’ll know soon enough,” Trump, who is in his second term, told reporters at the Oval Office. “We’ll make a decision, do we want to go further and just certify it by certifying it, meaning where it’ll never happen again? … I think it’ll take them 25 years to rebuild the country.”
Iran’s proposal to US over nukes
Reportedly, Iran has sent a proposal to the US over its nuclear programme via Qatar. As reported by India TV a week ago, Iran could transfer its highly enriched uranium stockpile to a third country and reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, provided the US stops strikes and lift sanctions. However, there is no clarity if the draft proposal has been agreed upon or not.
The US has consistently maintained that Iran needs to give up its nuclear ambition, but Tehran has asserted that no negotiations could take place till Washington accepts its demands. Now, the situation in the Middle East hangs in balance and it would be interesting to see how the situation unfolds from this point, especially after Trump’s drubbing in the midterms.
ALSO READ:
Trump signs order to shield Oval Office from future makeovers, but can presidents undo his move later?