US President Donald Trump said Sunday that “something big” could happen soon regarding Iran, as he outlined three stark possibilities for dealing with Tehran: destroying its remaining capabilities, allowing economic pressure to continue crippling the country, or reaching a negotiated settlement.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the choices facing Washington were essentially to “wipe Iran out,” allow it to “rot economically,” or strike a deal.
He also warned Iranian leaders to “behave themselves” before Washington takes another step that could, in his words, “blow Iran up.”
The comments mark another sharp escalation in Trump’s rhetoric toward Tehran as his administration weighs its next moves in the months-long US-Iran conflict.
Trump has repeatedly threatened overwhelming military action against Iran. Earlier this month, he told Fox News that Iran could be “totally wiped out as a country” if it responded to US strikes, after Washington carried out another round of attacks against Iranian targets.
Despite the latest threats, Trump also left the door open to diplomacy.
The US president said he would be willing to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, although he complained that some Iranian officials were hiding and that Washington was struggling to find people capable of making an agreement.
Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are expected to attend the UN gathering after Washington confirmed that a core Iranian delegation would be allowed into the United States under its obligations as host of UN headquarters. Restrictions will remain on the delegation’s movements while in New York.
The General Assembly opens against the backdrop of one of the most volatile periods in the Middle East in years, with the US-Iran war, Houthi attacks, disruption to major shipping routes and soaring regional tensions expected to dominate discussions.
Trump is also expected to meet Gulf leaders during the gathering to discuss the next phase of Washington’s Iran strategy. Leaders and representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have been invited to the talks.
Iran, meanwhile, issued its own warning on Sunday.
Tehran’s military command said it had information suggesting another major US or allied attack was being prepared and warned that any such operation would bring sustained retaliation against American bases and interests.
Iran said regional states participating in an attack would also be treated as parties to the conflict. Tehran provided no public evidence for its claim that a new offensive was imminent.
Trump’s increasingly aggressive rhetoric comes as the Iran conflict also creates growing political pressure at home.
The Washington Post reported that Trump has privately acknowledged to advisers that some of his decisions surrounding the war have contributed to the difficult political environment facing Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The newspaper reported that Trump has become increasingly attentive to poor polling and more focused on helping Republican candidates limit potential losses, although one person familiar with his thinking disputed that Trump had accepted personal blame for the party’s difficulties.
Rising energy prices have become a particularly sensitive issue. The conflict has pushed fuel costs higher and emerged as a major concern for voters, increasing pressure on Republicans as the election approaches.
For now, however, Trump is publicly keeping both military escalation and negotiations on the table — threatening potentially devastating action against Iran while simultaneously signalling that he remains prepared to sit down with its president.
