‘When do I blow the entire nation up’: Trump weighs his next Iran move

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said he is weighing whether to “blow the entire nation up” as he decides what to do next in the conflict with Iran.

Trump described three choices: wiping out Iran, letting its economy deteriorate, or making a deal as he weighs the next step.

He made the comments Sunday, September 20, in an interview with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst about the Iran conflict.

Trump lays out three choices on Iran

Yingst said Trump told him he was “in a deciding mode” and that “very big things are going to be happening in the not so distant future.” 

Trump described his options as “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal.”

Trump then framed the decision in more direct terms, saying, “My question is, if and when do I blow the entire nation up? They better behave.”

The comments echo remarks Trump gave Axios on Thursday, when he said, “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them [the Iranian regime] or do I not? It's a big decision. Anything could happen with me.”

Trump also told Axios he wanted to use a planned meeting Tuesday with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman to hear their views on the war's next steps.

Trump says some Iranian officials are 'hiding'

Yingst said Trump described difficulties getting Iranian officials to the table, saying “some of the officials are hiding like rats.”

According to Yingst, the administration is dealing with two groups inside Iran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, whom he described as more moderate voices, and hardline IRGC officials who have continued trying to attack US forces across the Middle East.

Trump told Yingst he would “probably” be open to meeting Pezeshkian during the UN General Assembly this week. 

Iranian officials are expected in New York for the meetings. 

The president also said the United States is in constant communication with the Houthis and that they had agreed not to fight the United States. 

Yingst said Iran-backed Houthis had targeted Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles the previous day.

Blockade remains as Trump weighs next step

The US naval blockade remains in place and is affecting Iran's economy, Yingst reported. 

According to CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, more than a billion barrels of crude oil have been escorted out of the Persian Gulf since the blockade began.

Axios reported that Trump has suspended negotiations with Iran, launched a new economic sanctions campaign, and continued the naval blockade while the US military focuses on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and increasing oil flow to the global energy market.

Trump told Axios he was “very satisfied” that the blockade had prevented Iran from exporting its oil, saying, “Not one ship has gone to Iran since we started. They tried and we blew them up.”

US officials told Axios that Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the military to maintain its level of forces in the Middle East through the end of the year. 

One official said, “At some point, you have to decide what is the endgame.”