Final answer:
The U.S. imposition of sanctions and embargo on Japan in 1941 influenced their decision to attack the United States. Japan believed that the United States would not be open to further negotiations and planned a surprise assault on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. action that influenced the Japanese decision to attack the United States in 1941 was the imposition of sanctions, including an embargo on oil and gas sales to the country. This action further reinforced Japan's plan to turn to the South Pacific to absorb the natural resources of the region. It severely restricted Japan's access to vital resources, especially oil, which it needed to sustain its military operations and maintain its economy.
Japan believed that the United States would not be open to further negotiations and saw them as a soft enemy unwilling to make the sacrifices needed to win a war. As a result, Japan planned a surprise assault on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack aimed to cripple the U.S. Pacific Fleet and give Japan a free hand in the Pacific region.