President Donald Trump is considering another round of military strikes against Iran, with Pentagon plans reportedly extending from nuclear facilities to Iranian-controlled islands. American warships are preparing for potential operations in the coming weeks, even as Washington and Tehran continue diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement.
The prospect of renewed confrontation emerged on Saturday when Trump acknowledged that the United States was considering military action against Iran in the near future. He also expressed uncertainty over whether Tehran would ultimately reach an agreement with Washington.
According to The Wall Street Journal, American officials said the president had been briefed on several military options prepared by the Pentagon, including attacks against Iranian nuclear installations and islands under Tehran’s control.
The newspaper reported that Trump was leaning towards resuming major military operations, although no final decision had been made.
US warships already deployed across the Middle East are reportedly preparing for the possibility of strikes against Iranian targets within the coming weeks.
The preparations raise a central question: Is Washington using the threat of another military assault to pressure Iran into an agreement, or is the administration preparing for a new phase of the war?
Nuclear Sites and Iranian Islands: What Is Washington Considering?
During a campaign rally in Florida, Trump raised the possibility of launching another operation similar to the previous American military campaign against Iran.
“We might carry out another operation like Epic Fury,” he said.
Trump claimed that Iran no longer possessed military leaders, fighter aircraft or naval vessels, portraying the previous American campaign as having severely weakened Tehran’s military capabilities.
He also repeated his allegation that Iran had been approaching the development of a nuclear weapon.
“I assure you, they will never have one,” he declared.
His remarks came as the Pentagon reportedly presented options that would allow Washington to expand the scope of another assault beyond conventional military targets.
The inclusion of Iranian-controlled islands alongside nuclear facilities is particularly notable, suggesting that American military planners are considering different categories of strategic targets.
However, the precise islands under consideration, the scale of the proposed operations and their potential duration were not disclosed.
Despite the increasingly explicit military threats, Trump has continued to send conflicting signals about Washington’s intentions.
On Friday, he said the United States was capable of ending the war quickly but questioned whether it should actively pursue a rapid conclusion or allow the confrontation to diminish gradually.
During recent campaign appearances, he has repeatedly insisted that the war would end soon, “one way or another”.
The uncertainty surrounding those statements has left open the possibility of either renewed military escalation or a negotiated settlement.
Iran Warns That Even a Limited Attack Will Trigger a Stronger Response
Tehran, meanwhile, is preparing for the possibility that American threats will translate into another military campaign.
Reports indicate that Iranian preparations to target American forces have reached advanced stages, while Bloomberg reported that Iran was preparing for the possibility of renewed US bombardment.
These preparations come as reports increasingly emerge about potential American and Israeli plans for another round of strikes.
On Saturday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a direct warning against any new attack, making clear that Tehran would not necessarily distinguish between a limited operation and a broader military assault when determining its response.
“Our response will be doubled against any enemy action, even if it is limited,” the Revolutionary Guards declared.
The statement also dismissed much of Washington’s rhetoric as political and media posturing.
“The enemy’s theatrical statements are largely media-driven. Just as the enemy was previously defeated by the steadfastness of our people, it will be defeated again if it repeats its mistake,” the Guards said.
The warning complicates the assumption that Washington could carry out a narrowly defined military operation without provoking a more substantial Iranian response.
Iran’s position is that even a limited attack would invite retaliation, leaving the scale of any renewed confrontation dependent not only on American decisions but also on Tehran’s response.
Pezeshkian Accuses Washington of Sabotaging Negotiations
While Washington weighs its military options, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the United States of undermining diplomatic efforts to reach an interim agreement.
Pezeshkian held Washington responsible for the failure of the proposed arrangement, describing American negotiators as “cowards” who had “ruined everything” during the talks.
His remarks reflected Tehran’s frustration with negotiations taking place under the threat of renewed military action.
On Saturday evening, the Iranian president also called for an end to what he described as the country’s condition of “neither war nor peace”.
The prolonged uncertainty, he warned, was increasingly affecting ordinary Iranians, many of whom were struggling to secure adequate food.
His comments exposed another dimension of the confrontation: even without a fresh bombing campaign, the unresolved state of hostilities is placing growing pressure on Iranian society.
The combination of economic hardship, military threats and stalled negotiations has left Tehran confronting the consequences of a war that has neither formally ended nor returned to full-scale confrontation.
Could Another Round of Strikes Trap the Region in a Permanent Confrontation?
The possibility of renewed American military action has also raised questions about whether the current stalemate could become an enduring feature of Middle Eastern security.
On Saturday, a former Pentagon official warned that the deadlock in the war against Iran could rapidly evolve into the region’s new normal.
Under such circumstances, Tehran could continue using its missile capabilities, drones and regional allies to keep its adversaries in a persistent state of military alert and insecurity.
The assessment points to a strategic problem that another round of strikes may not necessarily resolve.
Even if American military operations damage Iranian facilities, the confrontation could continue through repeated threats, retaliatory actions and regional military pressure.
The danger is therefore not confined to the immediate consequences of another attack. It also involves the possibility of a prolonged confrontation in which neither side achieves the political settlement it seeks.
For Washington, restarting major operations would mean accepting the possibility that Iran could respond in ways that prolong rather than conclude the conflict.
For Tehran, maintaining the capacity to retaliate could remain central to its efforts to prevent Washington from dictating the terms of an eventual settlement.
The Nuclear Negotiations Remain Open, but Time Is Running Short
Despite the threats from both sides, the diplomatic route has not been entirely abandoned.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed that the agency had completed its technical preparations to verify Iran’s nuclear activities should an agreement be reached.
Grossi emphasised that any sustainable settlement concerning Iran’s nuclear programme would require independent international oversight.
His remarks indicate that the mechanisms needed to support a negotiated nuclear arrangement remain available, provided Washington and Tehran can reach an acceptable political understanding.
For now, however, two competing approaches remain in play.
The United States is considering renewed strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and strategically important islands, while Tehran is warning that any attack, regardless of its initial scale, will provoke a stronger response.
Diplomatic preparations continue alongside military deployments, with neither Washington nor Tehran offering certainty over which course the confrontation will ultimately take.
