Trump says he is weighing an Iran deal or renewed strikes as Hormuz ship attacks are disputed

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is deciding whether to make a deal with Iran or resume military action, as the war that began on February 28 continues and attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are disputed.

“And now my question is, do I make a deal with them or do I finish them off?” Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News, according to Iran International. He also said, “They have never been hit so hard,” and “Remember, we now control the Hormuz Strait. They get nothing. We get everything.”

Asked whether strikes could come that day, Trump said there would not be one, according to CBS News live coverage. He gave no date for a decision.

Saturday remarks

A day earlier, Trump told reporters he would not say whether he planned to order new strikes. “Do you really think I’m going to tell you if I’m going to do it?” he said. “There’s a possibility I will. There’s also a possibility we’ll have a nice big beautiful agreement.” He added: “They want to make a deal. But the problem is, will they hold the deal?”

Iran International, citing The Hill, reported that the U.S. military has prepared renewed strike options for after the November 3 midterm elections. The outlet also cited the Wall Street Journal as reporting that U.S. naval forces were preparing for possible strikes.

Claims of ship attacks

The statements followed a week of competing accounts of attacks on shipping. On Thursday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said seven vessels had been hit in or near the strait, which Al Jazeera reported would be the largest single-day toll since the war began. According to the Guard, four ships were transferring oil when they were struck and caught fire, and three others were disabled after hitting mines. Al Jazeera said the claims could not be independently verified and that no details were given on casualties or the ships’ flags.

The Guard also warned that the conflict could extend to U.S. bases in the region if Washington continues to help tankers transit parts of the strait. “The US military must know that if this trend continues, the conflict will extend to its bases in the region,” it said.

Trump rejected the claims on Truth Social. He wrote that “Iran is doing everything they can to drive up the price of oil prior to the US Midterm Election,” and called the reported hits and mines fake.

A U.S. Central Command spokesperson, speaking anonymously, called the mine claims incorrect, according to Al Jazeera. The spokesperson said U.S. forces had cleared the international shipping lanes of mines and that Iran was using missiles and drones. Central Command said the strait remains open, with 95 percent of vessels getting through, and described the attacks as a sign of Tehran’s “desperation” under the U.S. blockade. The command said the blockade cuts Iran off from resources it needs to rebuild its military.

Iran’s offer and the blockade

The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has restricted the country’s oil exports. Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said on October 24 that Iran had offered to reopen the strait if the blockade were lifted, and that Trump had rejected the offer, according to CBS News.

Trump said on Sunday that any agreement would have to permanently stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon, according to reports of the interview.

Background

The United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28. Al Jazeera reported that Iran claims control over the strait and regularly attacks ships that pass without its authorization, that the U.S. military has been escorting vessels through the strait in growing numbers, and that Iran has responded by stepping up attacks. The strait previously carried about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, Al Jazeera said.

The midterm elections are scheduled for November 3. Trump has said Iran is trying to raise oil prices before the vote.

CBS News live coverage, last updated at 4:10 a.m. Eastern on Monday, reported no announced agreement or new strike order.