According to a Fox News live blog dated 5 November 2026, President Donald Trump met his national security team on Thursday to discuss resuming military operations against Iran, with senior officials confirming the talks to the network. Further meetings were reportedly held at the White House on Wednesday. Officials cited 9 November, a new moon, as a date offering favourable conditions for operations.
Mr Trump told reporters Washington would “make a decision” and said he would rather not destroy the rest of the country “if possible”. He also said he was unsure the conflict still counted as a war, given no recent deaths, and put American fatalities at 18. Citing a US official, Axios reported that US Central Command is finalising preparations for a possible resumption but has received no new directive. The Pentagon has said recent defensive strikes on an Iranian island base are not a return to full aggression.
On the diplomatic track, Reuters reported that Iran sent a formal nuclear proposal through Qatar on Thursday, with further talks conditional on Washington addressing seven Iranian demands. The US is reviewing the document. The Fox blog also relayed claims by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards that two tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz, and noted that UKMTO has logged five attacks on vessels in the region since Sunday. Brent crude settled up 3.88 per cent at $98.29 a barrel, per Reuters.
Reporting note: This account relies on a single live blog that aggregates other outlets, including Axios and Reuters, which we have not checked independently. Claims by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards about the Hormuz fires are unverified, and no decision to resume strikes has been announced.
Photo: NASA / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
