US President Donald Trump is reportedly growing increasingly frustrated as the conflict with Iran, which was thought to be over in a short period of time, has now dragged on into its fifth month.
According to several administration officials and people close to him, Trump believes the war is getting harder to control.
In a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump reportedly criticized the Iranian leadership in a harsh tone. He is also said to be losing confidence that diplomatic negotiations can lead to lasting peace, and now sees military pressure as a more effective option.
The prolonged conflict has also put pressure on the Trump administration. In addition to causing oil prices to rise, the war has reportedly undermined public support for his administration and killed more than a dozen US military personnel.
This situation has also sparked concerns among advisers that the conflict could affect the Republican Party's chances in the upcoming midterm elections.
Previously, Trump has tried several times to ease tensions, including announcing a ceasefire in April and announcing that the US and Iran had reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the effort failed when fighting broke out again and the conflict continued to escalate.
In the past two weeks, the US and Iran have continued to launch attacks on each other. The Houthi group also attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, thus triggering a surge in world oil prices.
Trump warned that the US would launch larger military action if the Houthi attacks continued.
Washington is now reportedly strengthening its military presence in the Middle East by sending additional military assets, medical forces and weapons to give Trump more options if the conflict continues to escalate.
The White House stressed that Iran will continue to face action as long as it does not show a commitment to negotiations that Washington considers serious.
The protracted war has also reportedly damaged Trump's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the same time, US intelligence agencies have also increased security checks on Trump and several senior officials after receiving information about threats allegedly coming from Iran.
