US President Trump stated on the 23rd that he is seriously considering restarting large-scale military operations against Iran.
In an interview with the U.S. news website Axios, he said: "I am considering launching a massive strike, unprecedented in scale. I am close to making a decision. We are fully prepared for this."
He said that Iran wants to negotiate, but is not ready to reach an agreement at this time, "the lessons they have received are not deep enough yet."
Trump said that if he makes the request, Israel would join in two minutes, but also stated that launching new actions against Iran does not require assistance from anyone and if Israel participates in the strike, there will be consequences.
Use Iranian Funds to Compensate for Damaged Ships and Goods
In addition, Trump posted on social media on the 23rd, stating that the US will use Iranian funds under its control to compensate for ships and goods damaged by Iranian attacks.
He said: "Effective immediately, any and all damages to vessels, cargo, or related items will be compensated by Iranian funds held and controlled by the United States."
He stated that although such compensation amounts could be enormous, it is still a fair and reasonable practice.
Threatens Military Punishment Against 'Ansar Allah'
Trump pointed out that if Yemen's 'Ansar Allah' (Houthi movement) attacks Saudi ships again, the US will hold Iran responsible and impose significant military punishment on both Iran and 'Ansar Allah'.
He said: "A year ago, the US forcefully struck 'Ansar Allah' because they fired at ships and disrupted commercial trade. Since then, up until our conflict with Iran, they behaved very responsibly. Unfortunately, they have started acting again and attacked two Saudi ships last night."
Trump said he is very disappointed with 'Ansar Allah'.