Washington Free Beacon editor in chief Matthew Continetti said President Donald Trump prefers the "status quo" over an all-out war with Iran.
Continetti appeared on Fox News Sunday's panel, where he was asked by fill-in host John Roberts about whether Trump backing away from a strike meant he couldn't go to war with Iran.
"No. He could take military action at any time. He is the commander in chief," Continetti said. "What we are seeing is the maximum pressure campaign of the Trump administration has met maximum resistance from the Iranian regime."
"The cyber operations and the economic warfare that the Trump White House has been waging against Iran has yet to deter them from their malign behavior in the region, but that status quo is something I think the president prefers to all-out war," Continetti continued.
USA Today's bureau chief Susan Page said she didn't believe the Trump administration would go to war with Iran based on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's interview with Roberts earlier during the show.
Pompeo told Face the Nation he and Trump were "looking for a diplomatic resolution," but added "we’re prepared to do the things we need to do." Trump was asked whether he would be meeting with Iranian leaders during this week's United Nations General Assembly, prompting him to say, "Nothing is ever off the table completely, but I have no intention of meeting with Iran."
Trump imposed new sanctions on Iran Friday, targeting the "two pillars of the Iranian economy, the country's central bank and its sovereign wealth fund." The sanctions were in response to the attack on the Saudi oil facility.