Trump says he’s in ‘deciding mode’ on Iran war

President Donald Trump warned Sunday that he has reached a critical juncture in the nearly seven-month-old Iran war, telling Fox News ↘ 0.63% he is weighing whether to launch a devastating military attack on the country or pursue a diplomatic resolution.

"My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave," Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst in a phone interview. The president described himself as being in "deciding mode" and said "very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future."arabnews+3

Trump outlined three options on the table: wiping Iran out through military strikes, letting the regime "rot" economically, or negotiating a deal to end the war. He also signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically, saying he would "probably be open" to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the UN General Assembly, which begins its high-level week on Monday in New York.aninews+3

Iran Sets Conditions Through Qatari Mediator

Tehran has responded with its own diplomatic maneuvering. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Saturday that Iran had conveyed seven conditions to Washington through a Qatari mediator for the start of any negotiations. Among the demands: an end to the war "on all fronts," the release of frozen Iranian assets, and an end to the US naval blockade, according to Iran International. Rezaei said Tehran was awaiting Trump's response.iranintl

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, struck a dual tone Sunday, saying Iran "must fight rationally and forcefully, and negotiate at the appropriate time with authority and reason." He also said Tehran had conveyed conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has attempted to blockade throughout the conflict, according to AFP.arabnews+1

Escalating Pressures at Home and Abroad

Trump's remarks came after he abruptly cut short a weekend stay at Camp David and returned to the White House on Saturday evening. CNN National Security Analyst Alex Plitsas reported that discussions at the presidential retreat had centered on strike options concerning Yemen. US embassies across the Middle East subsequently issued security warnings to American citizens.washingtontimes+1

The president also said Washington is "in constant communication with the Houthis" and that the Iran-allied group has "agreed not to fight the United States," even as the Houthis launched a ballistic missile attack on the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday and seized territory inside Yemen from the Saudi-backed government.gulftoday

Domestically, Trump faces mounting pressure over the war's economic toll. The national average price for a gallon of gas reached $4.48 on Friday, according to AAA — up $1.27 from a year ago — and the House voted for a third time last week to require the president to seek congressional approval for military action in Iran.aol+1