White House reportedly keeps military pressure while extending diplomatic engagement
US President Donald Trump has reportedly chosen to continue diplomatic engagement with Iran rather than return to full-scale military conflict, despite discussing additional strikes with senior defence officials, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar with internal deliberations.
The report said Trump held multiple meetings with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine to review military options. Although discussions reportedly included proposals to intensify operations against Iran, the president concluded that renewed large-scale conflict could undermine ongoing negotiations, particularly efforts aimed at addressing Iran’s nuclear programme.
According to the report, Trump is also willing to allow negotiations to continue beyond the previously discussed August 18 deadline for a nuclear agreement. However, he is reportedly prepared to authorise limited military strikes if Iran violates the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
Officials familiar with the discussions said the president has not ruled out broader military action entirely, keeping that option available should diplomatic efforts fail.
Negotiations continue as both sides maintain communication channels
Speaking after a meeting with Senate Republicans last week, Trump expressed confidence in the negotiations, saying Iran was responding positively to US demands while warning that military action remained possible if diplomacy collapsed.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue through Qatari mediation. A US delegation led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has travelled to Doha for further talks, while Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio continue to support negotiations with Tehran.
Vice President Vance said Washington remained open to improving relations if Iran permanently abandoned its nuclear weapons ambitions. However, Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that Tehran had not yet demonstrated sufficient cooperation during the negotiations.
Despite differences over Iran’s nuclear programme, both countries have established a direct communication channel between US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the report, officials from both sides have already used the deconfliction mechanism to reduce tensions and help prevent unintended military escalation while negotiations remain ongoing.
