'Something very big' coming soon, Trump says, signaling imminent decision on Iran

Both leaders to address UN General Assembly this week, raising prospect of direct talks

Trump says Houthis have agreed not to fight US; returns early from Camp David

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US President Donald Trump talks on the phone as he leaves Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on Sunday (local time). [AP]
US President Donald Trump talks on the phone as he leaves Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on Sunday (local time). [AP]

US President Donald Trump raised the prospect of a large-scale military strike against Iran while leaving the door open to a summit with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. With the UN General Assembly approaching, Trump appeared to be pressing Tehran toward a deal by putting both an extreme military option and a negotiating offer on the table at the same time.

Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst, who spoke with Trump on Sunday (local time), said the president told him he is currently in "decision mode" and that "something very big" would happen in the near future.

Trump outlined three options for dealing with Iran: a large-scale military strike, economic strangulation, or a negotiated agreement. Yingst said Trump described the choices as "wiping out" Iran, squeezing it economically, or reaching a deal.

Trump warned that "it's a question of when we blow the whole country up" and that Iran "had better behave."

Even so, Trump did not rule out meeting Pezeshkian directly. Asked whether he would be open to a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Trump said he would "probably" be open to it.

The move appeared designed to maximize military pressure by publicly raising the possibility of a massive strike, while keeping open the prospect of a leader-to-leader deal — a dual-track approach aimed at pushing Iran toward an agreement.

With both leaders expected to be in New York this week, attention is focused on whether any high-level contact will materialize.

Trump is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. Pezeshkian is also traveling to New York for the assembly and will speak the following day, on Wednesday. Should a meeting take place, it would be a remarkable scene — the leaders of two countries at war coming face to face.

Trump also disclosed that the United States has been in ongoing contact with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Yingst said Trump told him the Houthis have agreed not to fight the US.

The remark appeared intended to underscore that, even as the Houthis have intensified their offensive against Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East situation has deteriorated sharply, direct attacks on the United States are not expected.

The US government, however, is on alert over the risk of rapid military escalation in the region. The Department of State issued an alert on Saturday urging Americans in the Middle East to heighten their vigilance and advising those planning to travel to the region to reconsider their plans.

Trump's abrupt curtailment of his weekend schedule has also fueled speculation that it may be connected to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

Trump had planned to spend the weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat near Washington, D.C., but returned to the White House a day earlier than planned. He arrived at Camp David on Friday and had been expected to return on Sunday, but came back on Saturday instead.

Iran, for its part, is also keeping negotiations on the table while ramping up military pressure. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in an Al Jazeera interview on Saturday that Tehran had conveyed to mediating countries the conditions under which it would be willing to resume talks aimed at ending the war with the United States.

At the same time, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck the Saudi capital Riyadh, ratcheting up military pressure further.


sjy@heraldcorp.com