President Trump convened his national security team Monday to chart a path forward in the standoff with Iran, with military options now firmly back in play after diplomatic negotiations hit a wall over the weekend.
The collapse came swiftly. After waiting 10 days for Iran's formal response to a U.S. ceasefire proposal, Trump received Tehran's answer Sunday: a flat rejection. Iranian state television denounced the offer as demanding Iran's capitulation to his "excessive demands." Trump dismissed it just as quickly. "I don't like it. It is inappropriate," he told Axios.
The central sticking point involves Iran's nuclear stockpile. Trump claims Iran previously agreed to hand over its enriched uranium to the United States, but Tehran's weekend response contained no mention of the commitment, suggesting a reversal. Trump characterized Iran's leadership as divided between "moderates and lunatics," a signal the negotiating window may have slammed shut.
Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio, Defense Secretary Hegseth, CIA Director Ratcliffe, and other top officials joined the Monday meeting. Trump signaled before the session that he holds cards to play. "I have a plan. Iran can't have a nuclear weapon," he said in the Oval Office. He also offered a bleak assessment of the diplomatic track: "The ceasefire with Iran is on massive life support."
Two U.S. officials indicated Trump is leaning toward military escalation to coerce concessions. One described the likely approach in stark terms: "He will tune them up a bit." A second official was more cryptic. "I think we all know where this is going," the official said.
Several options sit on the table. The administration could restart "Project Freedom," the naval escort operation through the Strait of Hormuz suspended last week. A more aggressive move would resume the bombing campaign, striking approximately 25 percent of targets the U.S. military identified but has not yet hit.
Israel is pushing for a bolder gambit. Israeli officials want Trump to authorize a special forces raid to seize Iran's enriched uranium stockpile directly. But Trump appears reluctant to greenlight such an operation, viewing it as too risky.
Timing may work in Iran's favor, at least temporarily. Trump departs Wednesday for China and returns Friday. Two U.S. officials said they do not expect Trump to order military strikes against Iran before his return from Beijing. The president plans to discuss the Iran situation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has quietly urged Tehran to strike a deal on nuclear restrictions, so far without success.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's threat to 'tune up' Iran is more than bluster now that the diplomatic door is swinging shut. The clock is ticking on whether Beijing can persuade Tehran to move before military action becomes inevitable."
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