US President Donald Trump is preparing to take a major decision on Iran, with reports suggesting the US could resume air strikes if diplomatic efforts fail. According to The New York Times, Trump’s top aides are making military preparations as tensions rise again in West Asia. Trump had just returned from China after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Several countries are trying to broker a compromise that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, and help avoid a wider conflict. However, Trump appeared unimpressed by Iran’s latest peace proposal. “I looked at it, and if I don't like the first sentence I just throw it away,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving Beijing. Also Read: 5 Key Outcomes Of Trump-Xi High-Stakes Beijing Summit The rising tensions come shortly after Trump’s talks with Xi. China is an important ally of Iran and depends heavily on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump confirmed that Iran was discussed during his meeting with Xi, but said he did not ask China to pressure Tehran. Behind the scenes, the Pentagon is preparing for all possible scenarios. The New York Times reported that US military planners are readying for a possible restart of Operation Epic Fury, potentially under a new name, after last month’s ceasefire. The report also said US and Israeli forces are carrying out their biggest joint military preparations since the ceasefire. Two Middle East officials, speaking anonymously to the newspaper, said possible strikes could begin as early as next week. Trump said both the US and China agreed that Iran should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened. “I have a lot of respect for him. On Iran, he feels strongly that they can't have a nuclear weapon, said that very strongly, they can't have a nuclear weapon, and he wants them to open up the strait. But as he said, they close it and you close them. And it's true, we (the US) control the strait, and they (Iran) have done no business in the last two and a half weeks, which is approximately $500 million a day,” Trump said. Trump also said Xi did not want tensions over Taiwan to escalate. “In return, Trump said Xi does not want to see a ‘fight for independence’ in Taiwan because that would be a very strong confrontation.” Trump added: “We had a great stay; it was an amazing period of time. President Xi is an incredible guy. President Xi and I talked a lot about Taiwan. He thinks they cannot have anything to do with what they're doing. He's very much against what they're doing. We talked about Taiwan and we talked about Iran a lot, and I think we have a very good understanding on both.” Taiwan remained one of the most sensitive issues during the summit. According to Reuters, Xi privately warned Trump that disagreements over Taiwan could push the US and China towards direct conflict.