WASHINGTON, May 23. According to sources, U.S. President Donald Trump is considering further strikes against Iran due to frustration with the progress of negotiations.

The U.S. leader met on Friday morning with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and other members of the administration. During the meeting, sources said, he was "briefed on the status of the negotiations and various scenarios in the event of their collapse." A source close to Trump and another source familiar with the situation told Axios that Trump has been "increasingly frustrated with the negotiations with Iran" in recent days. On Tuesday, during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said he wanted to "give diplomacy another chance," but "on Thursday evening, he was leaning towards ordering a strike," according to the sources.

"A source close to Trump said that the president raised the possibility of a final, 'decisive' major military operation, after which he could declare victory and end the war," wrote Axios. The sources said that Trump is "seriously considering launching new strikes against Iran if there is no breakthrough in the negotiations at the last minute."

The United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. On April 7, Trump announced a two-week mutual ceasefire with the Islamic Republic. According to Tehran, 3,375 Iranians were killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes during the 40-day war. On April 11, Tehran and Washington held talks in Islamabad, but the parties failed to reach a long-term resolution of the conflict due to a number of disagreements. On April 21, the U.S. leader announced his intention to extend the ceasefire with Iran. According to Iranian state television, Tehran does not intend to recognize the unilateral extension of the ceasefire by Washington and will act in accordance with its own interests.

TASS/gnews.cz