Trump Says He Could Strike Iran 'Right Now' While Holding Off at Gulf Allies' Request

Since Trump said Monday that the Iran war was "militarily effectively over" and further strikes were "quite unlikely," his language has sharpened again. In interviews Thursday, Nov. 12, he said he would not hesitate to resume attacks and might do it immediately.

Trump: 'No Hesitation'

Asked by Hugh Hewitt on the Salem News Channel whether he would use force to stop Iran from "terrorizing our allies and our ships," Trump answered: "No hesitation." He added: "If I saw things going the other way, I would do that, and it's possible I would do it right now."

He said the U.S. "totally" controls the Gulf and has not lost a soldier in five months. He also claimed Iran has 301% inflation, is not paying its soldiers, and has lost its navy, air force and anti-aircraft capability. Those are Trump's claims. He offered no figures to back them.

In a separate interview with Stephen A. Smith, Trump said he could cripple Iran's energy, bridges and manufacturing in three days, "one day each." He said he is holding off because Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain asked him to.

"I am not sure I agree with it," Trump said of the request. He added: "The people that we are here to protect would rather have me do it the way I am doing it now." Of the war itself, he said: "The war was just something I had to do regardless."

That is a different register from Monday. After meeting Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the White House, Trump posted that the Gulf states "would prefer the status quo," meaning the naval blockade, and that he saw "positive momentum" toward ending the conflict. He also said then that the U.S. was "locked and loaded."

Threats Against Bessent

Trump was also asked what would happen if Iran killed a senior American official. "They will not exist very long any longer," he said.

The question followed reports that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his family were moved from their Washington home to a military base because of threats against his life linked to Iran. An official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that threats against Bessent "reached more than an advanced stage." A Treasury spokesperson said Bessent will "not be deterred by the Iranian regime's threats."

Tehran's Moves

Iran's Assembly of Experts described considering withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as an "unavoidable necessity," according to a Times of India live report. No withdrawal has been announced.

Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, claimed that Washington asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help broker talks. The claim is Qalibaf's alone.

On Monday, Iranian security council chief Mohsen Rezaei told the U.S. to "stop manufacturing fake news about imaginary talks" and said it was "time to surrender to the seven conditions Iran has repeatedly set out." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday he "wouldn't say we're on the verge of a breakthrough." Qatar is mediating, and neither side has said much about the substance.

Shipping and Regional Risk

The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported two tankers hit by projectiles in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. One Liberian-flagged oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile about 14 nautical miles northwest of Ras Al-Khaimah, causing an engine-room fire; all 22 crew members, including 19 Indian nationals, were safely evacuated.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, an oil facility in Yanbu and an Aramco building in Riyadh. Those are the group's own claims.

An Iranian official told state news agency Fars that U.S. blocking of internet domains belonging to Iranian businesses amounts to "digital terrorism."

Oil rose Thursday, with Brent crude settling up more than $3 a barrel following reports of the Houthi attacks and tanker strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Fox News, citing Reuters. U.S. stocks ended lower Thursday as oil climbed, according to Anadolu.

Washington Splits

The politics shifted after the midterms, when Republicans lost both chambers of Congress. Vice President JD Vance said the Iran war was a key reason. Trump told "60 Minutes" he did not disagree, acknowledging voters "didn't like the war," but said he would make the decision to attack again with "an emphatic yes."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called the conflict a "reckless and costly war of choice" at a press briefing Thursday. "It's been a disaster for the American people. It's raised costs, made life more expensive," he said. "The Iranian regime is stronger now than it was before the war. We should have never entered into it."

Jeffries pledged that Democrats would oppose further funding for the war. "House Democrats have uniformly opposed providing any additional money to Donald Trump's war machine," he said.

Trump's stated position is the opposite. He says the military campaign has succeeded and the blockade is working. Iran says it has the leverage and the U.S. should accept its conditions.

What Comes Next

U.S. Central Command called an Israeli media report of a possible resumption of the war "pure speculation." Israel's cabinet is scheduled to meet Sunday, Nov. 15, amid opposition fears of a strike on Iran. Whether Trump follows through on his Thursday warning or keeps honoring the Gulf request to wait may depend on what comes out of that meeting.