Trump says decision time is near on Iran: deal or attacks. Tehran says new strikes would change nothing.
President Donald Trump said Sunday that it is getting to be decision time on whether to make a deal with Iran or resume attacks, as Iranian and Houthi threats against Americans in the Middle East grow.
In an interview with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump said he had to decide whether to finish Iran off, which he said would be very easy, or to make a deal, adding that the United States does not play games. He had suggested Friday that Washington “may do another little Epic Fury,” a reference to the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, CBS News reported. He also said the United States could take all of Iran’s oil and that it was already taking what it wanted. He claimed the United States now controls the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran disputes. Trump told reporters on Sunday the United States would not strike that day, Aaj News reported.
Trump has suggested that U.S. strikes could resume after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and he has sent additional forces toward the Persian Gulf, including a third aircraft carrier group, Bloomberg reported. Iranian officials said potential new U.S. strikes will not change Tehran’s position, noting Iran has endured two rounds of attacks. A person familiar with Iran’s thinking told Bloomberg that the country is preparing to retaliate across the Middle East if necessary.
The United States is reducing diplomatic and military staffing in parts of the Middle East. The State Department initially acknowledged departures only from Saudi Arabia, but an American official told Bloomberg on Friday that staffing changes are taking place more broadly as Iran intensifies attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping and maritime security officials say the attacks are causing more severe damage than earlier in the conflict. Officials warn that the period between the election and the seating of the new Congress could be particularly dangerous, and a negotiated deal is widely seen as the most likely way to end the conflict.
Information for this report was provided by Bloomberg, CBS News, AFP and Aaj News.