Trump Weighs Renewed Iran Strikes as Middle East Tensions Spike Again

US sends Iran a ‘final proposal’

Trump scraps holiday plans after security meeting

Military and intelligence agencies on standby

Pakistan and Qatar join mediation push

Diplomacy remains deadlocked

The US is keeping open the option of renewed military action against Iran as it monitors last-ditch negotiations. President Donald Trump canceled holiday plans, including a family wedding event, after meeting with senior national security officials and decided to remain at the White House. Military and intelligence officials also cleared their weekend schedules, fueling speculation in Washington that talks with Iran have reached a pivotal moment.

Trump cancels personal plans after security meeting

Axios and CBS News reported on May 22 that Trump is considering resuming airstrikes if Iran rejects what the US has described as its “final proposal.” The US delivered the proposal on May 20 and warned that military attacks could resume if Tehran refused to accept it.

Trump met that morning with Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The group discussed the state of negotiations with Iran and possible responses if the talks collapse.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was traveling in Europe. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine did not attend because he was scheduled to take part in a graduation ceremony at the US Naval Academy.

Axios, citing sources, said Trump has grown increasingly frustrated in recent days with the pace of negotiations. When he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 19, he had still favored a diplomatic solution. Since then, he has moved closer to restarting airstrikes.

One person close to the matter said Trump had also raised the possibility of a final large-scale military operation aimed at ending the war. Even so, there has been no clear sign that he has made a final decision to resume the strikes.

Trump later said Iran “desperately” wants a deal and indicated that he would keep watching developments.

Military and intelligence agencies on alert

The US enters a three-day holiday weekend starting May 23 ahead of Memorial Day on May 25, but tension has been building across the government. Trump had been scheduled to spend the holiday at his golf club in New Jersey after a speech in New York on May 22. Instead, he returned to the White House.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he would not be able to attend a wedding event in the Bahamas this weekend for Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson because of “what is going on with the Government, and out of my love for the United States.” He added that he believed it was important to remain at the White House in Washington at this critical time.

Military and intelligence officials have also canceled personal holiday plans. They have begun preparing for possible Iranian retaliation as troop rotations continue in the Middle East and are updating call-up rosters at overseas bases.

The US and Iran entered a temporary ceasefire on April 8. Since then, both sides have refrained from attacking each other to buy time for indirect talks aimed at reaching an agreement.

Anna Kelly, a White House communications official, told CBS News that Trump will not accept Iran possessing nuclear weapons or retaining a stockpile of enriched uranium. The president keeps all options on the table, she added, and the Pentagon’s job is to be ready to carry out any decision made by the commander in chief.

Mediation push struggles to break deadlock

Efforts to prevent a renewed war are continuing. Pakistan army chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on May 22. A Qatari delegation also joined the mediation effort.

Munir is scheduled to meet Ahmad Vahidi of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on May 23. The article described Vahidi as a key figure in Iran’s decision-making process.

The outlook for the negotiations remains bleak. One US official briefed on the diplomatic talks described the process as “painful.” Drafts are still being exchanged without meaningful progress.

Iran is also sticking to its existing position. The Foreign Ministry said on May 22 that talks were ongoing but an agreement was not close. Tasnim, the semi-official news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, cited a person close to the negotiating team as saying discussions on disputed issues were still underway and no final outcome had been reached.

That person said the current negotiations are focused solely on ending the war and that no other issues will be discussed until that matter is resolved.

Axios, citing sources involved in the Iran talks, said a breakthrough remains possible within the next 24 hours. Without an unexpected development, however, Trump appears increasingly likely to move toward military action.

Hong Min-seong, Hankyung.com reporter mshong@hankyung.com