Media, Trump met with national security team, 3 options on Iran

Donald Trump met his national security advisors yesterday, for the first time since the midterms, and then, meeting with journalists, said that he will soon decide whether to resume an all-out war against Iran, now that the midterm elections are over. According to Axios insider Barak Ravid, the president, at least for now, is weighing three options: launch new attacks, continue to economically strangle the Iranian regime, or reach a deal that includes significant concessions to the Iranians.

Meanwhile, Axios writes, there was intense diplomatic activity yesterday, including numerous phone calls between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and regional mediators from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Egypt.

Qatari mediators continued talks with the Iranians and the White House on a draft proposal that would see the two sides take a series of steps over two days to build mutual trust towards a broader agreement.

On day one, the United States would lift the naval blockade and release some of the frozen Iranian funds. In exchange, Iran would send an official invitation to the International Atomic Energy Agency to send inspectors to bombed nuclear sites, building on an agreement reached in Cairo a year ago, regional sources said.

On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, after which nuclear talks would resume, focusing on Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.