Trump Says a Decision on Renewed Strikes Against Iran Is Coming 'Soon' and the Military Is 'Locked and Loaded' While Qatar Pushes a Two-Day Deal, Breitbart Reports

President Donald Trump says he will soon decide whether to order another round of major strikes on Iran, Breitbart reports, while a diplomatic track runs alongside the war planning.

What he said. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump said, "Now we will make a decision." He added: "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I'll have to. You'll know soon enough." On readiness he said, "If we have to do the rest of the Iran thing, we're very much locked and loaded." Breitbart says he pointed to higher American weapons production and to the military's readiness.

The meetings. The remarks followed a session with his top national security advisers, their first on Iran since Tuesday's elections, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials. Senior officials separately told Fox News that White House meetings on resuming military operations took place Wednesday and Thursday. Breitbart says the administration is weighing three paths: a renewed large-scale campaign, continued sanctions and the naval blockade, or a negotiated settlement.

The political backdrop. Breitbart says Trump acknowledged the midterm losses were partly driven by higher gasoline prices tied to the conflict. He defended the campaign and said he would authorize it again. Vice President JD Vance has become a leading voice for diplomacy over new strikes, and in a long statement Wednesday he blamed the war for the Republican defeat, according to the report.

The diplomacy. Qatar is leading efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart talks on Iran's nuclear program. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held several calls Thursday with mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt. The New York Times reported that Iran is reviewing concrete proposals, and Reuters reported that Iran sent a nuclear proposal to Washington through Qatar. Tehran still insists the U.S. first meet seven demands, including lifting sanctions, releasing frozen assets, paying compensation and ending the blockade. Mohsen Rezaei, after meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow, repeated that Iran will not open the strait or negotiate until then, though the Times says he has been more flexible in private.

The Qatari proposal. As Axios described it, Washington would lift the blockade and release some frozen funds on day one while Iran invites International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to damaged sites. The strait would reopen on day two, and talks on Iran's enriched uranium would follow. Neither side has accepted. A central obstacle is Trump's demand that Iran give up that stockpile. Iran has refused to ship it abroad.

Trump's line. Asked about the new Iranian proposal, he said, "They're not doing anything without our approval. It doesn't make a difference what they're looking at. They're not going to have a nuclear weapon." He also called the U.S. position "virtually an occupation" and said Iran could take 25 years to rebuild.

The military side. Breitbart says U.S. Central Command is finalizing preparations for a possible return to major combat but has received no new directive. The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group is heading toward the region, where two other carrier groups are already deployed. It is due in Singapore on Friday and is not expected in Central Command's area before mid-November.

Why it matters here. We have reported on Hormuz tolls, the blockade and Republicans blaming the war for the midterm rout. This report puts a presidential decision on the near horizon.

What we could not check. We did not see the Axios, New York Times or Reuters reports Breitbart cites, and we could not confirm the Qatari terms or Iran's seven demands. Breitbart's full text carries no White House or Iranian reply beyond what is quoted here. No decision has been announced.