Trump’s Iran strike threat has become less immediate after US President Donald Trump said he was highly unlikely to order fresh attacks on Iran if negotiations with Tehran continued to make progress towards a strong agreement.
Trump made the remarks during a telephone interview with CNN on Sunday, November 8, as tensions remained high over reported attacks on commercial vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
The president indicated that diplomacy remained his preferred option, although he made clear that Washington had not abandoned the possibility of further military action if negotiations failed.
“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump told CNN. “The answer is, highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary.”
CNN did not disclose the precise question that prompted the president’s response. Trump, however, used the interview to reveal that the United States had identified potential infrastructure targets in Iran.
He specifically mentioned 38 bridges, claiming American forces could destroy them “in literally one hour” if military operations resumed.
His comments came against the backdrop of continuing confrontation between Washington and Tehran, with both countries reporting incidents involving vessels in the strategically important Gulf waterway.
Trump leaves military options open as negotiations continue
Although the president suggested that additional attacks were unlikely, he did not rule out a return to military operations.
His position was that the need for further strikes would depend on whether Iran accepted an agreement that met Washington’s expectations.
The reference to potential infrastructure targets also demonstrated that American military planning remained active despite the diplomatic opening.
Trump had previously indicated that he could renew major attacks after the November midterm elections. However, there had been no indication of a large-scale American military operation following the vote.
Iran, meanwhile, had warned that any renewed American offensive would trigger retaliation against US and Israeli targets.
The latest comments therefore offer a possible opening for negotiations without removing the threat of another escalation.
Task Force Iron Gate intensifies pressure on Iran
Later on Sunday, Trump announced on Truth Social that “Task Force Iron Gate is in full force and effect” on Iran.
The campaign, first reported by Reuters on Saturday, is designed to restrict Tehran’s movement of advanced weapons and other sanctioned materials across its land borders and through the Caspian Sea.
It represents an extension of American pressure beyond the naval blockade targeting Iranian ports and shipping movements.
By focusing on land routes and the Caspian Sea, Washington is seeking to disrupt supply networks that could support Iran’s military activities.
The development also illustrates the two-track approach emerging from the administration: keeping diplomatic discussions alive while expanding economic and logistical pressure on Tehran.
Explosions and vessel attacks deepen uncertainty around Hormuz
The diplomatic signals from Washington coincided with reports of explosions in southern Iran and fresh incidents involving commercial shipping.
Iranian state television said officials had not confirmed missile strikes on Iranian territory after explosions were heard in several areas, including Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz.
The broadcaster later suggested that the explosions could have been connected to Iranian military activities in the waterway.
Tasnim news agency reported that two missiles had struck Qeshm Island, although no official information about possible damage was available.
Neither the United States nor Iran had commented on that particular report, according to Reuters.
Washington had previously said it struck the island on November 2 in a limited defensive operation against Iranian personnel using surface-to-air missiles against American assets.
The different accounts have made it difficult to establish precisely what happened during the latest explosions.
Commercial vessels and oil tankers caught in the confrontation
Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has remained under pressure as the United States and Iran continue their confrontation.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy said two oil tankers caught fire after hitting mines while attempting to use what it described as an unauthorised route through the strait.
The semi-official Fars news agency subsequently reported that a third tanker had suffered an explosion and caught fire.
Separately, the US military said its air force had fired at the stern of a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman on Saturday evening.
American officials said the operation disabled the vessel because it was attempting to break the blockade of Iranian shipping.
Footage released by US Central Command showed smoke rising from the stern of the St Kitts-flagged cargo vessel following the reported strike.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations monitoring agency also reported an incident involving a bulk carrier and military forces approximately 18 nautical miles east of Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
The agency said the extent of the damage was unknown, while it remained unclear whether the incident was connected to the reported American operation.
Reuters said it could not independently confirm the reported strikes involving the vessels.
Iran war becomes a political issue after Republican election losses
Trump’s comments also came amid a political debate in Washington over the consequences of the Iran war for the Republican Party.
The president acknowledged after last week’s US midterm elections that the conflict had contributed to the party’s defeat.
Vice President JD Vance offered an even more direct assessment in a social media post, declaring: “The reason we lost is the war.”
Vance is widely considered a potential successor to Trump when the president’s current term ends in two years.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that “a lot of people did not like Vance’s comments on Iran.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, another figure frequently mentioned as a possible successor, declined to directly address the relationship between the war and the election results.
Instead, Rubio defended the president’s decision to confront what he described as a longstanding threat to American security.
“All I can tell you is that the president of the United States identified a very real threat to this country that existed for a very long period of time, and he addressed it,” Rubio told reporters.
The comments exposed differing public responses among senior administration figures as the political consequences of the conflict continued to attract attention.
Rubio sees no immediate diplomatic breakthrough
Rubio also addressed the negotiations, indicating that Washington did not believe a breakthrough was imminent.
He said Trump would prefer to resolve the conflict through diplomacy but maintained that Tehran’s demands had made progress difficult.
“The president would always prefer to solve this and every problem diplomatically. Sometimes that’s not possible, unfortunately. But if there’s a chance to do it. We’ll explore it.”
Rubio added: “Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic,” he said.
His remarks highlighted the significant differences that remain between the two governments despite continuing mediation efforts.
Qatar maintains mediation as Iran submits nuclear proposal
Qatar has continued to facilitate contacts between Washington and Tehran as the conflict threatens regional stability and international economic activity.
The Qatari government rejected reports on Saturday that the United States and Iran had failed to reach a deal.
It said the country’s prime minister had confirmed that both sides were continuing to work towards an agreement.
A senior Iranian official previously told Reuters that Tehran had submitted a nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar.
The official said the United States was reviewing the proposal, but further discussions would depend on Washington first addressing seven Iranian demands.
These include sanctions relief, access to frozen Iranian assets and war reparations.
Washington, however, wants nuclear issues included in the initial negotiations, creating another area of disagreement between the two sides.
The competing demands suggest that reaching an agreement will require substantial compromises on issues that have remained central to the confrontation.
Wider Middle East conflict threatens regional stability
The confrontation has expanded beyond direct American and Iranian military operations, with other regional developments adding to the uncertainty.
Since the United States and Israel began attacks on Iran in February, Tehran has sought to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and restrict energy exports from the Gulf.
American forces began blockading movements to and from Iranian ports in April, further intensifying the pressure on commercial shipping.
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The conflict has consequently placed important international energy and commodity routes at risk, with implications for the global economy.
Saudi Arabia also reported damage to an administrative building belonging to state oil company Saudi Aramco in Riyadh on Sunday.
The country’s energy ministry said falling debris from an attempted attack damaged the building, but no injuries or fatalities were recorded.
Meanwhile, the conflict involving Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen and Saudi Arabia has escalated during November, widening the regional security crisis.
For now, Trump’s Iran strike threat remains conditional on the outcome of diplomatic negotiations, while Washington continues to maintain military and economic pressure on Tehran.
Whether the latest diplomatic opening can produce an agreement will depend on the two governments resolving their differences over nuclear restrictions, sanctions, frozen assets and war reparations.
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