Trump Says US Could Strike Iran Soon or Reach a Deal, Citing Hormuz Control and Nuclear Aim

President Donald Trump said the United States could attack Iran as soon as the next day or instead reach a large agreement with Tehran. He told reporters the administration is considering a strike but would not say whether it will happen. He said Iran wants a deal but questioned whether it would keep one, and that his aim is to stop Iran from eventually building a nuclear weapon, which he said must be made permanent. At a midterm campaign rally in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday, he said the US might do another small round of Epic Fury, the military operation begun against Iran in February, unless Iran agrees to terms. On Thursday he had said US forces had already hit Iran hard and might go a bit further. He also said the US controls the Strait of Hormuz, letting other countries ship oil while limiting Iran's exports, and that oil shipments through it have increased since the war began. He said the US could take the whole country and all its oil, and that he may have to finish the job or Iran may make a deal. The New York Times has reported that US and Israeli preparations for renewed strikes after the midterms are advancing.

Right-leaning Breitbart leads with the threat, in a headline about a strike and another little Epic Fury. It centers the Friday rally, the economic pressure on Tehran, Thursday's remarks, and Trump's claims about Hormuz and taking Iran's country and oil. In the portions available, it does not mention the nuclear rationale or the deal language. Left-leaning outlets had not reported the story when this was written; alternative and right-leaning outlets had. Alternative outlets Middle East Eye and TRT World lead with the strike-tomorrow-or-deal choice, the nuclear goal and the doubt about Iran keeping a deal. TRT adds the New York Times reporting on post-midterm strike planning. Both groups quote the Epic Fury remark and Trump's finish-it-off framing.