US-Iran brinkmanship: Trump weighs escalation as Pakistan offers mediation

Trump convenes advisors on Iran strikes; Pakistan explores talks; Houthis prefer confrontation with US, UK, Israel over Saudi Arabia.

US-Iran brinkmanship: Trump weighs escalation as Pakistan offers mediation — US President Donald Trump convened a discussion today (Friday) with his senior advisors and US cabinet members to decide whether to escalate strikes against Iran, as a senior administration official told the Wall Street Journal that Trump doubts diplomacy and is in a 'revenge mode.'[^1] Yet a senior US security official said Iran's military capability has been nearly eliminated, while other officials believe Iran is still capable of attacking.[^2] The dilemma reflects a deeper tension: the Americans are looking for a way out of the crisis, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made clear that Tehran will not succumb to pressure and will not accept a temporary ceasefire.[^3] Meanwhile, Pakistan is exploring the possibility of resuming negotiations between the United States and Iran, with a Pakistani official stating that cessation of attacks in the Gulf will be 'a precondition for resuming any negotiations.'[^4] A Pakistani government spokesperson noted: 'The Chinese are unhappy that Iran's attacks in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are damaging their interests.'[^5] The US and UK plan to convene a high-level meeting in London next week to establish an international coalition to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil prices have exceeded $100 per barrel and about 6,000 sailors are stranded.[^6] In a separate development, Commander of the Iranian Khatam al-Anbiya Emergency Headquarters Ali Abdollahi issued threats, saying: 'For the death of every Iranian citizen, one American soldier will be sent to hell. We have prepared direct tickets to hell for you.'[^7] Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the politburo of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement (Houthis), stated that the group prefers confrontation with the US, UK, and Israel over Saudi Arabia. The widening conflict has drawn in smaller Gulf states: earlier this month, Bahrain and Kuwait attacked Iran for the first time, in response to ongoing Iranian fire on their territory. Likud primaries in limbo as Netanyahu heads to Washington — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fly to Washington, DC, on Monday