The US president is reportedly weighing his next move while remaining open to meeting Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian
US President Donald Trump is weighing several options regarding Iran, including blowing the “entire nation up,” Fox News has reported. At the same time, Trump has reportedly signaled that he is open to talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
The US and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, killing senior officials and commanders, including longtime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. A June 17 memorandum intended to halt the fighting expired in mid-August without a lasting agreement. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, pushing up global energy prices.
On Sunday, Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported that Trump had told him he was in “deciding mode” and teased “very big things… happening in the not-so-distant future.” Trump is considering “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically, or making a deal,” according to Yingst.
The president also reportedly indicated that he is “open” to meeting Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran in recent months. In April, he warned that Iran’s “whole civilization will die” unless it accepted Washington’s demands. The US nevertheless suspended its latest wave of strikes in late July amid reports of ammunition shortages, which the White House denied.
Washington shifted toward greater economic pressure last month, announcing a “crushing economic operation” aimed at isolating Iran and penalizing countries that continue trading with it.
Meanwhile, Tehran has warned that any renewed US attack would trigger retaliation against American bases and interests across the Middle East.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said over the weekend that Tehran had conveyed seven conditions to Washington for the start of negotiations. He later told Al Jazeera that they include an end to the war on all fronts, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and an end to the US naval blockade. Qatar has been acting as an intermediary.
“Trump’s threats will not achieve any results. We are prepared for a decisive war,” Rezaei said.
Against this backdrop, US diplomatic missions across the Middle East issued security alerts over the weekend, urging Americans to exercise heightened vigilance amid the risk of further escalation. The warnings also cited renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis.
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