Trump weighs options
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he was weighing whether to reach an agreement with Iran or take further action to “finish them off,” in an interview with Fox News.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that a potential resumption of war with Israel and the U.S. would not change his country’s positions, after Trump said Washington “may do another little Epic Fury.”
Araghchi on policy1 of 6 outlets reported it · not in Khabaronline and 4 more▾
Iran warned on Saturday that U.S. ships would never be allowed in the Persian Gulf “under any circumstances,” as tensions between Tehran and Washington continued mounting.
Persian Gulf warning1 of 6 outlets reported it · not in Khabaronline and 4 more▾
Jay Clayton, Director of National Intelligence, said Iran has “substantially increased efforts to target U.S. personnel” abroad, with plots to kill Americans reaching “advanced stages” in the Middle East and other countries.
Qatari mediators were in Tehran on Sunday as part of a U.S.-coordinated effort to reduce regional tensions, an official briefed on the matter told Reuters.
Close-up portrait of a man smiling, US flag visible behind6 October 2017 · Archive photoPhoto: Shealah Craighead / White House, Public domainIran rejects foreign troops
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said any attack on Iran’s territorial integrity would draw what he described as an unimaginable response.
Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that U.S. bases have become the main source of insecurity for their host countries, and the region should move toward having no foreign troops.
Iran’s army said on Sunday that its air defense systems shot down a U.S. LUCAS drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
Trump also claimed Washington had control over the Strait of Hormuz, saying “We now control the Hormuz Strait” and “We get everything, they get nothing.”
Hormuz claim2 of 6 outlets reported it · not in Khabaronline and 3 more▾
Trump said, when asked whether U.S. strikes could resume as soon as today as he departed the White House for Michigan, “The answer is no, there will be not be a strike today,” according to Al Jazeera.
Economic strain and elections
Iranians braced for a possible return to all-out war with the U.S. and Israel as leaders of both countries wage mounting threats in the days leading up to their respective elections. Fereshteh Hajipour, 35, said she was stockpiling over-the-counter medicines and food for fear of a “possible war and bigger bombs.” CBS/AP reported that a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports restricted oil exports on which Iran’s government depends, increasing economic pain as each side tries to outlast the other.
Mohammad Mohammadi, 36, said a trip to the supermarket can burn through half a monthly mid-range salary of 400 million rials, which roughly equates to $150. Netanyahu warned in a video released by his office on Sunday that “our enemies, Iran and its proxies, could challenge us with attacks in order to disrupt the elections,” and said the military was ready for both defensive and offensive operations.