Trump Tells Aides He Won’t Resume All-Out War With Iran Unless U.S. Troops Killed – WSJ
President Trump has told aides privately that he would consider ending the ceasefire with the United States and Iran if Tehran kills U.S. troops, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing U.S. officials.
The officials said that the weeks-long pause in airstrikes remains in place despite ongoing violent skirmishes. Trump’s reluctance to restart full-scale war suggests he may tolerate smaller flare-ups for weeks or even months to avoid wider conflict in the Middle East.
The U.S. and Iran have seen some of their most intense clashes since the ceasefire began in early April, with Iran launching missiles and drones at U.S. regional bases and at Kuwait International Airport, leaving one person dead. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have also disrupted global energy markets and shipping, as Tehran restricts trade through the waterway while the U.S. enforces a tight blockade on Iranian ports.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the exchanges are defensive and not a return to full war: “They are happening in response to an Iranian action. If they don’t shoot at those ships, we don’t shoot, but we have to respond.”
Over the past several weeks, Trump and aides have worked on a “memorandum of understanding” with Iran outlining a roughly 60-day negotiation framework. Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal last Friday, insisting on upfront concessions and no benefits until then. Iran says it will only negotiate its nuclear program after the U.S. unfreezes assets or offers financial relief.
Iran also wants an end to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, prompting Trump to urge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt planned strikes on Beirut.
Netanyahu said the shared goal is to disarm Hezbollah and demilitarize Lebanon. Tehran, meanwhile, believes the war’s outcome positions it to shape the timing and content of negotiations.
