LONDON: US President Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise.
Speaking to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst on Sunday, Trump said he was in “deciding mode” over Iran and warned that “very big things” were coming. He also said Iran had “better behave,” while leaving open the possibility of direct talks with Pezeshkian, reported by the Arab News on Sunday night.
According to Yingst, Trump said the United States had several options before it, including destroying Iran’s military capabilities, allowing its economy to weaken further, or reaching a diplomatic agreement. Trump also raised a stark question over how far the confrontation could go, saying: “My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave.”
Pezeshkian, who is due to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, has also indicated that he would probably be open to a meeting with Trump. Such a meeting, if it takes place, could offer a rare moment of direct communication between the leaders of two long-time adversaries.
The latest developments come nearly seven months after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, leaving the region in a tense and uncertain situation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on Sunday that Tehran had sent Washington conditions through mediators for reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Iran has attempted to restrict traffic through the waterway during the wider Middle East conflict.
US military officials said on Saturday that oil, gas and cargo shipments through the strait had reached their highest level in six months over the previous two weeks, underlining the importance of the waterway to global trade and energy supplies.
