Trump consults commanders on Iran but Rubio says no decision made

President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, October 31, 2026, as Washington weighed renewed military action against Iran. The call followed a White House meeting earlier in the week where Trump consulted senior military commanders on options for resuming major combat operations against Iran.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump had not decided whether to launch fresh strikes and preferred a diplomatic solution. Rubio said direct and indirect contacts with Tehran were continuing, but declined to give a timetable for an agreement. Diplomatic efforts through Qatari mediators to restart direct negotiations between the US and Iran are also ongoing.

Iranian officials have threatened wider retaliation if fighting resumes.

The sequence — a commander meeting, a call with Netanyahu, and continued diplomatic channels — shows military options under active consideration alongside a negotiating track that has not been closed. No strike order has been announced. No timetable for talks has been given.

What was discussed between Trump and Netanyahu has not been disclosed. The specific military options presented at the White House meeting have not been made public. The status of the Qatari-mediated negotiations is not known beyond that they are ongoing.

Israel's domestic politics add a layer of uncertainty to any joint decision. Netanyahu's outgoing coalition bloc holds 53 seats, eight short of a majority. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has set coalition principles. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, said Netanyahu must not be allowed to lead Israel through another Iran war.

For readers, the stakes include the potential for higher oil prices, regional instability, and the risk of US involvement in another Middle East conflict. The gap between reported readiness to strike and the absence of any announced decision is the central fact of the moment. Military options are on the table. Diplomacy is still active. Neither has been resolved.