Iran Weighs Trump’s Deal Against More Strikes as Tehran Shrugs at Israel’s Election

Trump weighs deal or strikes

Trump said Sunday he was deciding whether to reach an agreement with Iran or take action against it. He has also kept open the possibility of another major round of U.S. strikes.

In a Fox News interview, Trump said he could either make a deal or “finish them off,” attributing those words to the president. On Friday, he had suggested Washington might conduct another “little Epic Fury,” referring to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

Regional officials meet in Tehran

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday for regional security talks, authorities from Iran and Saudi Arabia said. Krimly said the meeting was intended to support dialogue and diplomatic solutions, as well as mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan.

Election warnings and response

Iran’s foreign ministry said Monday that the result of Israel’s election, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tight race, would make “no difference.” Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel had intelligence indications that Iran and its proxies could attempt attacks to disrupt Tuesday’s election. He warned Iran against hostile acts and said it would face disproportionate blows.

Missile claims and oil prices

The Saudi-led coalition fighting alongside Yemen’s government said Monday that its air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis toward Riyadh. Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki also said two missile launchers in Sanaa were destroyed.

The Houthis had claimed a new attack on Riyadh’s international airport, which had recently reopened. The accounts differ: the group claimed an airport attack, while the coalition reported intercepting a missile headed toward the city.

Brent crude was around $115 a barrel early Monday after rising late last week amid concerns about global supplies. The article links those concerns to wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and the approach of winter, when gas demand rises.