Trump frames a choice between a deal and force
President Trump said Sunday that he is deciding whether to reach an agreement with Iran or escalate militarily. "Now, my question is, do I make a deal with them, or do I finish them off?" he said in an interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," according to CBS News.
The remarks followed comments on Friday in which he suggested Washington "may do another little Epic Fury," a reference to the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Trump also claimed the United States now controls the Strait of Hormuz and criticized former President Barack Obama over the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran nuclear deal. Trump withdrew the U.S. from that agreement during his first term.
Tehran pushes back as warnings mount
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that a possible resumption of war with Israel and the United States would not change his country's positions. On Saturday, Iran warned that U.S. ships would never be allowed in the Persian Gulf "under any circumstances."
CBS News reported that both sides have signaled a possible return to strikes, and that the U.S. ambassador to Turkey warned Iran could be hit as soon as this weekend. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said Friday that 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.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video Sunday that Israel has intelligence signs Iran and its proxies could attack to disrupt Tuesday's Israeli elections. He said the military was ready for defensive and offensive operations and warned, "Don't test us. You will suffer disproportionate blows."
Houthi attacks hit Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia reopened terminals 1 and 2 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh for domestic and international flights on Sunday, more than two weeks after deadly Houthi strikes knocked it out of service. In early October, strikes on a complex housing two other terminals killed 17 people and wounded more than 330, CBS News reported.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on X that the group carried out three operations with dozens of ballistic missiles, saying the strike on the airport "achieved its target." He said other strikes targeted King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait and a naval base in Jazan. He had earlier called the airport a "military target" and warned airlines and travelers against using it.
The Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone fired toward Riyadh, along with 10 ballistic missiles aimed at the southern region. A Khamis Mushait resident told AFP that "the bombardment has been heavy since this morning."
Economic strain inside Iran
The Associated Press spoke with Tehran residents who described growing anxiety. Some are preparing to leave the capital, while others are stockpiling medicine and food. A U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has restricted oil exports, and trucks have piled up at borders as trade shifts overland. Rice is more than 60% more expensive and beef more than 150% since the war began, according to the report.
Sasan Karimi, a University of Tehran professor and former government official, said Iranian leaders believe Trump will likely order new strikes regardless of the midterm results and are planning for various scenarios. Separately, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf urged a campaign to cut gas consumption by at least 10% as officials anticipate winter shortages. Iran says the war, which began in February, damaged key infrastructure including natural gas refineries.
