Trump Says He Is Weighing Iran Strike Bigger Than Any Before, Decision Near

Axios interview

"If I ask, Israel will join within two minutes"

President Donald Trump said he is considering a large-scale attack on Iran that would be bigger than any previous strike.

In an interview with Axios on July 23, Trump said he was on the verge of making a decision. "We are fully prepared," he said. The US has recently conducted airstrikes on Iran for 12 consecutive days.

Axios said Trump's comments indicated he was considering an attack larger than Operation Praying Mantis, the campaign that led to direct conflict with Iran.

Trump also said Israel would join an attack on Iran within two minutes if he asked. Even so, he added that the US does not need anyone else for such an operation.

Earlier, Trump warned that the US would take strong military action against both Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Iran if the Houthis resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

In a social media post, Trump said that if they do this again, referring to attacks on commercial vessels, the US would hold Iran responsible because the Houthis are an Iranian proxy. He added that Iran would face major military retaliation and that the Houthis themselves would also be targeted.

The Houthis, which declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabian vessels in the Red Sea, said on July 23 that they had carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi oil tankers. Saudi Arabia has turned to Red Sea export routes after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz.

As the possibility of renewed full-scale war between the US and Iran rises, the House of Representatives on July 23 passed a resolution requiring congressional approval for war with Iran by a vote of 214 to 208. The Senate is expected to consider a similar resolution soon, the Associated Press reported.

Park Su-rim, Hankyung.com reporter paksr365@hankyung.com