President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is in a “deciding mode” over Iran, keeping military escalation, prolonged economic pressure and a negotiated agreement all under active consideration. The comments, delivered as the conflict entered its seventh month, sharpened attention on the central question facing Washington: whether to intensify pressure on Tehran or pursue a negotiated settlement.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said “very big things” could happen soon and warned Tehran to “behave.” He offered no timetable for a decision.

BREAKING: President Trump tells Fox News that he is in a "deciding mode" and that "very big things" are going to happen in the near future. Trump describes his current choices as "wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically, or making a deal." "If and when I blow the entire…

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Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst reported that the president described three possible paths, ranging from deeper pressure to a deal or wider military action. No order, deadline or negotiating framework was announced. That leaves Washington’s immediate course unresolved while regional warnings, mounting military costs and a possible diplomatic opening converge around the United Nations gathering in New York.

Trump Weighs Military Pressure as Diplomacy Stays Open

Trump also said he would “probably be open” to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the U.N. General Assembly, the annual September gathering that brings heads of state and foreign ministers to New York. Washington has approved visas for Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and a limited delegation, preserving a channel of direct diplomatic access despite the continuing hostilities. No meeting, however, has been confirmed.

At the same time, Iran’s military warned Sunday that another attack by the United States or its allies would trigger sustained retaliation. Tehran said any response would target American bases and regional partners. Washington, for its part, urged Americans across the Middle East to remain vigilant, cautioning that escalation could disrupt flights and airspace. The warnings underscored the risk of a wider regional confrontation.

The conflict began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, which places September 20 roughly 204 days after hostilities started. Tehran continues to tie the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commitments it says Washington made under an earlier agreement, keeping the strategic waterway — through which a significant share of the world’s seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas passes — at the center of the standoff.

$43.6 Billion War Cost Raises Pressure on Washington

The prolonged Hormuz crisis is already affecting regional energy operations. Reuters reported Sunday that QatarEnergy, Qatar’s state-owned energy producer, said some of its expansion projects could face delays because deliveries of critical equipment have become more difficult.

The financial cost of the military campaign is also climbing. U.S. Central Command estimates put the conflict’s cost at $43.6 billion through September 3. The same estimates counted 18 American service members killed and more than 830 wounded since the fighting began.

Political pressure has grown alongside those losses. On September 15, the House of Representatives voted 220-204 — a narrow margin — in favor of a resolution seeking to end unauthorized U.S. military operations against Iran.

Taken together, the president’s latest remarks leave three tracks publicly open — further military action, sustained economic pressure and diplomacy — and none has been announced as the administration’s final course.

For now, the next decision sits between battlefield pressure and the diplomatic opportunity created by the U.N. gathering in New York. Both sides, however, continue publicly preparing for further confrontation as the choice remains pending through the week.

Source: Blockonomi