US President Donald Trump has said he is seriously considering resuming a large-scale military operation against Iran, with strikes that would be larger than those carried out under Operation Epic Fury.

In a brief interview with Axios, the American news outlet, President Trump said he was close to making a decision but stressed that he has not yet given the final go-ahead. “I’m considering a massive attack. Bigger than any before. I’m close to making a decision. We’re all ready for it,” he said.

Two US officials confirmed to the outlet that no final decision has been taken so far and no new orders have been issued to the armed forces.

President Trump also said Israel would join a new operation within minutes if asked, saying it would “join within two minutes” of any request from him. He added, however, that the United States does not need another country’s help to launch an attack on Iran, noting that Israeli involvement could carry consequences and implying it would provoke retaliation from Tehran.

‘Iran wants to negotiate’

President Trump said Iran’s leadership wants to return to negotiations but is not yet ready to reach an agreement. Two sources in the region, familiar with the mediation efforts, told Axios that Tehran has not accepted the latest proposal put to it. “We are trying, but the Iranians are not helping,” one of the sources said.

Tensions rising in the region

According to the report, the United States has stepped up its military operations over the past 12 days in an effort to stop Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, Iran continues its own operations in the region, while Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Tehran, have begun attacking Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, further escalating the crisis in another crucial maritime trade corridor.

Earlier, President Trump had warned in a post on Truth Social that if the Houthis launch new attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the United States would hold Iran responsible. He said the Houthis act as proxies for Tehran and that, in such a case, both Iran and the Houthis themselves would face a powerful military response.