Donald Trump’s next move on Iran remains unclear, with the US President expressing hopes of a deal, while keeping military options on the table.
Hours after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned of a “regional war” in the Middle East if provoked by the US, Trump said that he was still hopeful of a deal, but did not rule out the prospect of military strikes against Tehran.
Asked about the Iranian warning, Trump told reporters on Sunday, “Of course he [Khamenei] is going to say that.”
“Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right,” the US President was quoted as saying by news agency. AFP.
Trump’s comment comes amid soaring tensions and significant military buildup, with the US having dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and a fleet of warships to the Persian Gulf, where the carrier remains within striking distance of Iran.
The US President has repeatedly threatened intervention in Iran, in support of protesters in the country facing a brutal crackdown, and has also called on Tehran to give up on its nuclear ambitions, having carried out strikes against nuclear facilities in the country in June 2025.
US, Israeli generals hold talks amid Mid East tensions
Meanwhile, with tensions in the region rising, American and Israeli generals held talks at the Pentagon over the weekend.
According to a reuters report, US General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Eyal Zamir, the chief of staff of the Israeli armed forces met at the Pentagon on Friday, although the purpose behind the meeting remains unclear.
On Sunday, Israeli defense minister Israel Katz met Zamir and confirmed talks had been held in Washington, with the minister’s office saying that Tel Aviv reviewed the situation in the region and assessed the Israeli military’s “operational readiness for any possible scenario”.
Khamenei’s ‘regional war’ threat
The developments come after Khamenei on Sunday warned against American aggression, saying that an attack against Tehran would trigger a war in the region.
“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” Khamenei said, telling Iranians they “should not be scared” of Trump’s rhetoric.
“We are not the instigators, and we do not seek to attack any country. But the Iranian nation will deliver a firm blow to anyone who attacks or harasses it,” the Iranian Supreme Leader was quoted as saying by news agency Associated Press.
Khamenei also described the nationwide protests across the country as a “coup”, which he claimed had been “suppressed”.
“The recent sedition was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed,” Khamenei claimed, adding, “Their [protesters’] The goal was to destroy sensitive and effective centers involved in running the country, and for this reason they attacked the police, government centres, [Revolutionary Guard] facilities, banks and mosques — and burned copies of the Quran. They targeted centers that run the country.”
Why are Iranians protesting?
Protests erupted across Iran in late December 2025, with citizens taking to the streets to demonstrate against the collapse of the country’s currency and persistent economic hardships.
The crackdown on the protesters, however, has been brutal, with the Iranian government’s official figures putting the number of dead at over 3,000. Rights groups, however, say that number is considerably higher, over 5,000, while Iranian health officials told time that the death toll could be as high as 30,000.
