President Donald Trump is weighing the United States' next steps regarding Iran and indicated that significant developments could come in the near future, Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Sunday following a conversation with the President.
Yingst said that Trump told him that he is currently considering several possible courses of action toward Iran, ranging from further military action to continued economic pressure or reaching an agreement with Tehran.
Trump said he would likely be willing to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is expected to attend the UN General Assembly in New York this week.
The President also addressed security alerts issued to US citizens in the region, telling Yingst that he does not view the current weekend as fundamentally different from others despite the heightened tensions.
Trump further discussed the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, following ballistic missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. According to Yingst, Trump said the US remains in regular contact with the Houthis and that the group has agreed not to engage in fighting with the United States.
Yingst said Trump emphasized that he remains in a decision-making phase regarding Iran and warned Tehran to exercise restraint as he considers the options before him.
Asked how soon a decision might come, Yingst said no specific timeline was given.
According to Yingst, Trump also described difficulties in identifying Iranian officials who are in a position to negotiate an agreement, saying that some officials were attempting to avoid being located.
Yingst described the administration as dealing with differing factions within Iran, including President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on one side and more hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials on the other.
The US naval blockade of Iran meanwhile remains in place and continues to place pressure on the Iranian economy.
Yingst cited CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper as saying that more than one billion barrels of crude oil have been escorted out of the Persian Gulf since the blockade began, further complicating Iranian attempts to stabilize its economy.
No clear timetable has been given for Trump's decision regarding Iran.
Iranian officials are expected in New York this week for the UN General Assembly, creating the possibility of diplomatic contacts as Trump continues to weigh the United States' next move.