President Donald Trump, speaking on Sunday, speculated about choices facing the US over Iran, including language suggesting the possibility of large-scale military action.
According to Fox News’s Trey Yingst, Trump is in a “deciding mode” and said “very big things” would follow in the “not-so-distant future”. Yingst said the president described the options under consideration as “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal”, adding: “My question is if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave.”
Separate comments earlier this week followed similar themes. On Thursday, Trump told Axios that he was weighing whether to “go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not”, adding that “anything could happen”.
What Trump Said About Military Action
Trump’s remarks were framed as questions about timing and consequences, with a warning that the response would depend on Iranian behaviour.
Yingst said Trump presented decisions now under consideration as ranging from military destruction to economic pressure or a negotiated settlement, while also stressing urgency.
The comments build on previous public threats by Trump, which have included language linking a deadline to potential escalation.
In April, Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die” unless “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen”. That message was followed by talks with Iran and a brief ceasefire, according to reporting at the time.
Planned US and Iranian Attendance at UN Talks
The latest comments came as reports indicated Trump is expected to meet with six Persian Gulf leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week.
The administration said it will also allow a “core delegation” of Iranian officials to attend the high-level session. The group is expected to include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The move would mark another step in the broader approach to the crisis, which has combined threats of force with periods of engagement.
Energy Costs Rise as Strait of Hormuz Closes
The conflict involving the US and Israel and its impact on Iran has contributed to higher energy prices worldwide, with the national average for gas rising to $4.48 as of Sunday, according to the motoring organisation AAA.
AAA attributed much of the rise to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil exports. The closure has driven price increases for almost seven months, it said.
Trump has previously played down the effect on fuel costs. After the first US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, he repeatedly suggested that the higher prices would fall.
On Wednesday, he said at a rally for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley in Gastonia, North Carolina, that the impact was “a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done”. He added: “It’s a little more. Frankly, even if it was a lot more,” and said the costs would “come tumbling down”, describing the decline as “like rocket ships in reverse”.
Republicans Face Pressure Over War Costs
Republican lawmakers have come under pressure as Democrats argue that the cost of living is being driven by the war.
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said last week that voters were questioning the administration’s timeline, recalling that Trump had suggested US forces would be “in and out in a matter of weeks”. She said the situation had not ended and that she remained dissatisfied with what she described as the impact on communities, particularly the cost of the conflict.
The exchange underscores the political challenge facing Republicans as the midterm elections approach, with Democrats highlighting price pressures linked to the wider tensions in the region.
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21 September 2026
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