U.S. President Donald Trump said he faced an important decision over how the war with Iran would end. Trump said he was considering the possibility of launching a large-scale attack to end the war.
Trump described the decision-making process in these terms: "Do I want to go in and wipe them out, or do I not want to? I have an important decision to make in front of me. This is a big decision, and everything is possible for me."
Speaking about Iran on Thursday, Trump said he would meet with the leaders of regional countries in New York next week. He said he expected those talks to produce a clearer approach to Iran.
Trump speaks about contact with Iran
Trump claimed that Iran was communicating directly with the United States and that Tehran still strongly wanted to reach a deal. The U.S. president had also said the previous evening that he hoped Washington was moving toward ending the war with Iran.
Iran did not immediately respond to Trump’s claim that he had established direct contact to reach an agreement with the Iranian government.
Dispute over the Strait of Hormuz stalls negotiations
Trump said he was pleased that the naval blockade targeting Iran’s oil exports had been lifted. Trump argued that no ships had gone to Iran since the blockade began and said such attempts had been blocked.
Negotiations between Iran and the United States have stalled because of disputes over maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Despite disagreements over the strait, which is strategically important for global energy and goods shipments, the sides signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June.
Trump says he may meet Netanyahu
Asked whether he would meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York next week, Trump replied, "I may."
The United States has recently carried out military attacks on some locations in Iran, following the breakdown of negotiations. Iran has also carried out attacks targeting military facilities and equipment it said belonged to the United States in Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.
Some attacks involved civilian deaths and damage to civilian facilities. The countries targeted condemned the attacks and called for them to stop.
Statement on deaths in Iran
The war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran began on February 28. Iran said more than 3,000 people had been killed in the fighting. Iran also claimed that U.S. and Israeli citizens had been killed in its attacks.
