The United States’ conflict with Iran is reportedly on the verge of intensifying in a major way.
President Donald Trump recently said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran is “on life support.”
Now, the president has told Axios that he’s “seriously considering” restarting major combat operations in Iran.
Trump told the outlet that the operations would also include strikes that would be bigger than the ones carried out during Operation Epic Fury.
Trump, in a brief interview, said he understands that such a decision would have ramifications and emphasized that he has not yet reached a decision.
The latest flare-up has pushed oil prices over $100 a barrel. There’s not much appetite in the U.S. for all-out war again.
“I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it,” the president said.
Trump said Israel “would join in two minutes if I ask them to,” but added that “we don’t need anybody” to launch a new operation against Iran.
He also said there would be “consequences” for Israel joining the strikes, hinting at Iranian retaliation against Israel.
Trump said the Iranians “want to negotiate” but are not ready to make a deal at the moment.
“They haven’t received enough pain yet,” he said.
Iranian leadership has not accepted the latest proposal put forward, two regional sources familiar with mediation efforts said.
“We are trying, but the Iranians are not being helpful,” one of them said.
In recent days, the U.S. has intensified its attacks to stop Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran, for its part, has so far shown no inclination to change course and has also stepped up attacks in the region.
Tensions in another critical oil shipping route have further roiled the global energy market as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have begun targeting Saudi ships in the Red Sea.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that if the Houthis fire again at ships in the Red Sea, “the U.S. will hold Iran responsible.”
The Houthis, he said, are an Iranian proxy and therefore “major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis themselves.”
Also on Thursday, the Republican-controlled U.S. House voted to halt President Trump’s military action in Iran without congressional approval, the latest rebuke by lawmakers of the president’s handling of the conflict.
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced the measure, which Democrats and four Republicans supported.
The vote was 214-208.
GOP Reps. Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson voted for the resolution, breaking with their party.
But even if the Senate passed it, it would not compel the administration to end the war. Concurrent resolutions, which are not presented to the president for signature or veto, do not have the force of law.
The Senate voted on its own measure to advance a measure to limit Trump’s war powers in Iran Thursday evening, but the vote failed. The vote was 49 to 47.
Democrats tried to limit the president’s war powers, with Republican Sen. Susan Collins among those Democrats, but Democratic Sen. John Fetterman joined the rest of the Republican conference to vote down the measure.
The votes came as the renewed conflict flared up after a recent ceasefire expired.
This marks the second time the House has voted to curb the president’s war powers, but the first since the US-Iran memorandum of understanding has broken down.
