U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he has not yet decided whether to authorize extensive strikes against Iran, as the renewed conflict risks widening across the region, with Saudi Arabia launching attacks on Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi rebels.
Trump indicated he would postpone a major operation, noting that Tehran is now engaging seriously in talks with Washington, and temporarily downplaying reports that he is growing frustrated with the war and contemplating a large‑scale military operation against Iran.
“No, I haven’t,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked whether he had decided to launch a hard strike on Iran.
“Look, we are currently in discussions with them. I believe they are becoming increasingly serious day by day, for what may be an obvious reason,” Trump said.
Trump asserted that Iran faces a choice between reaching a deal or confronting a “much higher level” of strikes, following nearly two weeks of U.S. attacks that have shattered the ceasefire.
The conflict that Trump initially forecasted to last only four or five weeks is now approaching its fifth month and is beginning to affect Republican approval ratings ahead of the pivotal November U.S. midterm elections.
Trump added that he does not know what the “tipping point” will be for a decision, but reaffirmed that his red line would be if Iran becomes close to developing a nuclear weapon.
The United States maintains that the strikes are intended to prevent Iran from closing the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has retaliated with strikes on U.S. bases that have resulted in the deaths of four service members.
The Iranian military announced on Friday that it had conducted attacks targeting U.S. military assets in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait in retaliation for Washington’s latest strikes.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, meanwhile, claimed they had targeted an Amazon data center in Bahrain, according to state media, though neither the U.S. tech giant nor Bahrain has commented on the allegation.
The United States has not confirmed any targeting of its facilities or personnel.
In Bahrain, sirens sounded again early Saturday, according to the interior ministry.
“Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” the ministry said on X.
– ‘I trust them’ –
In his comments, Trump also maintained that Russia and China are not arming Iran, despite reports suggesting both nations are providing Tehran with intelligence to target U.S. forces.
“President Xi (Jinping) said he will not participate, and President (Vladimir) Putin said the same… I trust them,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t think they’d want to disappoint me.”
On the diplomatic front, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, in Kyrgyzstan.
Wang called for an early resumption of negotiations and the implementation of a memorandum of understanding aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East and the Gulf region, Xinhua reported.
This referred to the preliminary agreement aimed at ending the war, which has collapsed as the parties contest a deadlock over the Strait of Hormuz.
“The door to negotiations, once opened, should not be closed, and as long as there is hope for peace, it should not be given up,” Wang said.
– Widening conflict –
In a new front of the war, Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthis have launched attacks on oil tankers in Red Sea shipping lanes after declaring a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally in the region.
In response, Saudi Arabia launched strikes on Yemen’s Houthi‑held Hodeida, rebel media reported on Friday, with a security source telling AFP that Houthi sites were hit.
The flare‑up followed an attack on a Saudi vessel, days after the rebels declared the blockade — a move that threatens the ability of the world’s top oil exporter to supply global markets.
This comes on top of Iran’s parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh’s only other maritime route.
“A Saudi aggression targeted Hodeida province,” the rebels’ Al‑Masirah TV channel reported.
Residents in Hodeida heard explosions, with one witness stating the blasts sounded close to the port.
“The terrorist Houthi military… targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea,” Turki al‑Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi‑led coalition, said on X.
The coalition had “carried out a decisive and strong response,” he added.
