According to them, Trump held a meeting on Iran with key advisers and senior officials on Friday to discuss shrinking inventory of the Patriot interceptors. Few if any in Trump’s inner circle believed that escalation would be wise, the sources said. One senior official expressed doubt that resuming major combat operations would drive Iran back to the bargaining table. The official said the strikes have the opposite effect of what is intended, keeping Iran cohesive and allowing Iranian leaders to focus attention on the external threat. The US administration is concerned about the prospect of an expansion of the war, the complication of relations with allies in the Persian Gulf, vulnerable to Iranian attacks, as well as the aggravation of the energy and migration crisis, The New York Times concluded.