President Trump says he’s weighing three options on Iran. They include more military strikes and “blowing the entire nation up.” The conflict with Iran will be a hot topic at the United Nations General Assembly this week, along with the summit meeting with China in Washington.
Iran’s military command says it has received information that the United States is preparing to resume military actions against it with the support of some countries in the region.
President Trump told Fox News he is in “deciding mode” on Iran, weighing three options:
- “Wiping Iran out,”
- “Letting them rot economically,”
- or “Making a deal.”
In his words: “My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up?”
Meanwhile, Iran is threatening new strikes on U.S. bases, even while it announced its terms to end the war: release Iran’s frozen money and lift the naval blockade. Iran says the Strait of Hormuz stays closed until then.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso on NBC’s “Meet the Press” said Iran must also end its nuclear program.
“We need to make sure Iran can never get a nuclear weapon. That has to be the bottom line. Iran has been at war with the United States for the last 50 years, attacking, killing Americans. President Trump is the first president to act and act decisively on that. We need to make sure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” Barrasso said.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels struck Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, on Saturday. Massive plumes of black smoke were seen rising from fuel tanks near the city’s airport.
The Houthis also targeted oil facilities in a key port along the coast with drones and ballistic missiles. Saudi Arabia says it intercepted the attacks.
Iran will be on the agenda when Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet this week in Washington.
Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin has urged President Trump in a letter to press President Xi on evidence that Iran used satellite images provided by China to carry out the July attack on a military base in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members and wounded four others.
President Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian will both be in New York City this week for the U.N. General Assembly, setting up what former White House officials describe as a “dramatic” diplomatic moment. Trump will address the world body tomorrow. The Iranian president will do so on Wednesday.
