US President Donald Trump has warned that it is “decision time” for Iran, saying Tehran must choose between striking a deal with Washington and facing renewed military action amid escalating tensions over the Strait of Hormuz.
“Make a deal or finish them off,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, as he weighed pursuing a diplomatic settlement against intensifying the military campaign against Iran.
“I have a decision to make: Do I finish it off, which would be very easy to do, or do I make a deal? That’s all,” said, adding that Washington was not willing to tolerate further delays.
Claiming that the US had gained control over the Strait of , Trump said Iran had been left with little leverage. “They get nothing. We get everything. They get nothing,” he said.
Trump also defended the economic consequences of the conflict, describing higher fuel prices as a worthwhile cost if they prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“I thought gas would be double and triple, and it’s a small price to pay for taking a nuclear weapon away from maniacs,” he said.
The US president further claimed that Iranian nuclear facilities were under constant surveillance and warned that Washington was prepared to act if it detected suspicious activity.
“We have every nuclear site under watch. If there’s any movement at the site, we know exactly what to do, but there won’t be,” Trump said.
Trump’s latest remarks follow his comments to reporters on Saturday, when he indicated that an agreement with Tehran could still be possible but questioned whether Iran would abide by its terms.
Asked whether the US could launch another attack, declined to rule out military action.
“Maybe tomorrow… There’s a possibility I will. There’s also a possibility we’ll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement,” he said. “They want to make a deal, but the problem is, will they hold the deal?”
Trump has signalled that the US could resume strikes against Iran after the November 3 midterm elections. Washington has also deployed additional military assets towards the including a third aircraft carrier group, adding to concerns about a possible escalation.
Trump also praised the US military campaign, claiming that American forces had destroyed Iran’s fighter aircraft and sunk 259 Iranian vessels.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin , whose government has continued its military campaign against Iran alongside the US, has also reportedly conveyed to US officials his intention to strike Iran after the October 27 elections.
Tehran has pushed back against reports that it offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for Washington lifting its naval blockade.
Iran denied making such a proposal through , according to the Tasnim news agency. Press TV, citing sources quoted by Tasnim, dismissed the claims published by a Saudi Arabian media outlet as “a lie and fabrication”.
Iran has reiterated that negotiations with Washington cannot advance unless its conditions are met, even as Qatari mediators arrived in Tehran on Sunday.
Abbas Gouzardi, spokesman for the speaker of Iran’s parliament, said dialogue with the would serve no purpose until Tehran’s seven stated conditions were fulfilled.
Speaking to the state-linked ISNA news agency, Gouzardi characterised Trump’s warnings of renewed attacks as “boasting with the aim of threatening”.
“The Islamic Republic of has announced its seven conditions, and until these conditions are met, negotiations will be meaningless,” he said.
