Trump meets with national security team, says decision on Iran war will be ‘soon’

• The president, at least for now, is considering three options: launch new strikes, continue to strangle the Iranian regime economically, or strike a deal that includes significant concessions to the Iranians.
• On Thursday, Trump and his top national security advisers met on Iran for the first time since the election, as part of his weekly intelligence briefing, two U.S. officials said.

What he says: “Now we’re going to make a decision,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “Do we want to go further” with strikes to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program is dead and “this doesn’t happen again?” he added. “I’d rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to. You’ll find out soon enough.”

State of affairs: As Trump pondered his next move, a flurry of diplomatic activity took place Thursday, including multiple phone calls between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and regional mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt.

• Qatari mediators continued discussions with the Iranians and the White House on a draft proposal calling on both sides to take a series of steps over two days to build mutual trust toward a broader deal.
• On day one, the United States would lift its naval blockade and release some of Iran’s frozen funds. In return, Iran would formally invite the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to bombed nuclear sites, based on an agreement reached in Cairo a year ago, regional sources said.
• On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, after which nuclear negotiations would resume, focusing on Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The big picture: Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei – a key player in indirect negotiations with the United States – met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Thursday.

• The meeting took place several days after a call between Putin and Rezaei and proposals from the Russian president to mediate between the United States and Iran.
• Rezaei said he had conveyed a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to Putin. He added that Putin stressed that he was ready to try to help end the war.
• “We told Mr. Putin that we announced seven conditions to the Americans regarding diplomacy and that until the Americans fulfill our seven conditions, neither the Strait of Hormuz will be open nor any negotiations,” Rezaei said after the meeting.

What to watch: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is finalizing preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations in Iran, although it has not received a new directive from Washington, a U.S. official said.

• The arrival of a third U.S. Navy carrier strike group in the Middle East could be a sign that the United States is considering further strikes.
• A US official said the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group would spend a few days in Singapore starting Friday for a port call. It will not arrive in the CENTCOM area of ​​responsibility until mid-November.