Donald Trump says he is not looking to escalate the war with Iran. He was speaking in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, aired on Sunday 8 November. Asked whether he planned to intensify the war, he said:
"Well, I'm not looking to. I don't think there's any reason to."
CBS News reports that Trump also defended starting the conflict as historically a good decision, despite its economic impact.
The interview aired on the same day Trump told CNN that renewed strikes were "highly unlikely" if negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme and the Strait of Hormuz make progress. His remarks to CBS are in line with what he said in that interview.
CNN notes that Trump has made clear the military option remains on the table. In his CNN interview he said three US aircraft carriers in the region were "fully locked and loaded".