Trump Keeps Pressure on Iran but Avoids Return to War ‘For Now’

WASHINGTON, Nov 14: US President Donald Trump does not want to resume the war with Iran “for now,” according to a media report, even as his administration continues to maintain economic and military pressure on Tehran.

Citing a US official, The Washington Post reported Friday that Trump has received several daily intelligence briefings since the midterm elections, with the official saying it had become increasingly clear that the president did not want to return to war at this stage.

“It’s become pretty clear that Trump does not want to go back to war for now,” the official was quoted as saying.

The report said the administration had settled into a middle path of no new war, no talks and no lasting peace as the conflict entered its eighth month.

Trump recently announced on his Truth Social platform that he was no longer trying to reach a deal with Iran and had instructed Vice President JD Vance to focus on other issues.

“We’re just keeping it the status quo,” Trump told reporters after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House on Monday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, rejected suggestions that the situation represented a stalemate, arguing that Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran was achieving its objectives.

“The pressure and the devastation that our economic campaign is having on the Iranian regime is working so well that the president really doesn’t have any need to conduct major combat operations,” Rubio said on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Paris.

Rubio also described Iran’s demands as “absurd.”

The US and Israel launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.

A memorandum of understanding signed in June to pave the way for a final peace agreement later collapsed amid disagreements, including over navigation through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The latest report suggests that while Trump is not seeking an immediate return to major military operations, Washington’s strategy remains focused on maintaining pressure on Tehran without resuming full-scale war or restarting negotiations.