Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said a decision on Iran would come “very soon”, warning that Tehran could face “the easy way or the hard way” as efforts to revive peace talks remain deadlocked.
Speaking before leaving the White House for Ohio to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of the November midterm elections, Trump said he was weighing his next steps on Iran.
He did not specify what decision he was considering but said Iran had been “decimated”. Trump also claimed that Tehran was “virtually giving up” plans to develop a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s remarks came a day after Axios reported that his top national security advisers met at Camp David to discuss US policy options on Iran and the escalating Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen.
The discussions have added to speculation about possible military or diplomatic steps if negotiations fail to make progress.
Meanwhile, Iran has been preparing contingency plans in case of renewed large-scale US military operations, according to Iranian officials and a source familiar with the deliberations.
Iranian commanders have reportedly reviewed options that could expand potential targets beyond US-linked assets to countries supporting American military operations.
Iranian officials are continuing diplomatic efforts to prevent another confrontation, though some privately view the prospects for a breakthrough as limited.
