Media reports, including those cited by sources familiar with the matter to “Axios,” indicated that US President Donald Trump held a meeting with his national security team to discuss developments following the decision to suspend some attacks or operations related to the escalation with Iran, amid rising regional tensions.
Evaluating Military and Political Options at the White House
According to the sources, the meeting held at the White House focused on evaluating the available military and political options, alongside studying the repercussions of any potential escalation with Tehran and its impact on regional security and US interests in the Middle East.
Reports noted that the national security team provided briefings on the field situation and military readiness levels, in addition to assessing international and regional reactions toward the suspension step, amid a division within decision-making circles over the best course of action in the coming phase.
Ways to Contain Escalation and Prevent Direct Confrontation
The meeting, according to the same sources, also discussed ways to contain the escalation and prevent the situation from sliding into a large-scale direct confrontation, while keeping the option of political and economic pressure among the proposed tools.
This development comes at a time when US-Iranian relations are witnessing a state of escalating tension, coinciding with parallel diplomatic and military movements seeking to contain the crisis or reset the rules of engagement between the two sides in the coming period.
