U.S. Weighs New Iran Strikes as Nuclear Diplomacy Stalls at UN

The Trump administration is maintaining high military readiness for potential new strikes against Iran, with reports indicating that intelligence and defense officials have canceled holiday weekend plans. While a White House spokesperson emphasized that President Trump is keeping all options open, no final decision on military action had been confirmed by Friday afternoon. The heightened posture follows nearly three months of conflict and comes as the U.S. balances active deterrence with fragile diplomatic efforts. On the diplomatic front, Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled that indirect negotiations have seen minor progress, though he characterized the movement as limited. During a NATO meeting in Sweden, Rubio raised concerns regarding the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that any Iranian attempt to disrupt the waterway or charge tolls would necessitate a response. This maritime concern adds a new layer of energy security risk to the ongoing standoff over Iran's nuclear program. Efforts to resolve the conflict via multilateral channels suffered a setback as the United Nations conference reviewing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) concluded without an agreement. The 191 participating parties failed to reach a consensus on a final document following disputes between U.S. and Iranian delegations. Meanwhile, regional mediators are reportedly pushing a limited peace proposal, though its success remains threatened by hardliner opposition within the Iranian government.