Trump's Options: Eradicating Iran... A Deal or Let It Rot Economically
- US President: Houthis “agreed” not to fight us
- Washington fears “rapid escalation” in the Middle East
- Tehran received information that Washington intends to resume operations... Qalibaf does not want an endless war
- Russian document reveals Moscow’s nuclear plans in Iran!
Amid escalating tensions between the US and Iranian sides and mutual threats, President Donald Trump cut short the weekend he was scheduled to spend at the Camp David resort, returning to Washington on Saturday evening with new warnings and hinting at the “possibility of blowing up all of Iran.”
However, despite this threat, Trump indicated that he “would be open to the idea of meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York” on the sidelines of the upcoming UN General Assembly meetings next Tuesday. Meanwhile, Iran’s Joint Armed Forces Combat Command announced that Tehran had received information indicating that Washington is preparing to resume combat operations.
Tripp Mickle, a Sky News correspondent who often speaks with Trump, reported that the US President stated the United States is “in constant contact with the Houthis, and they have agreed not to fight the United States.” Trump had previously said that the Houthis refrain from attacking US forces in the region.
Mickle stated that Trump informed him that “major things will happen in the near future,” and that “the Iranians need to behave themselves,” adding that the President is deciding “whether to blow up their country or not.” He also noted that the current options on the table before him are “to wipe out Iran, let it rot economically, or reach a deal and agreement.”
For its part, the US State Department warned citizens in the Middle East of the “possibility of unexpected escalation,” adding that “Iran-backed Houthis have engaged in hostile acts against Saudi Arabia, including against civilian airports.”
In Tehran, the Joint Command of the Iranian Armed Forces stated in a statement that any US attack would be followed by continuous strikes on US bases and interests.
Domestically, Qalibaf criticized calls to continue the war and reject the diplomatic track, warning that this could lead Iran to exhaustion and an “endless war.”
This comes a day after statements made by Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, to Al Jazeera channel, in which he revealed that Tehran had conveyed its preconditions for resuming talks to Washington via Qatari intermediaries. These include “ending the war on all fronts, releasing frozen Iranian assets, and ending the naval blockade.”
Fars News Agency quoted Pezeshkian as saying that “criticizing the government’s performance is simple in theory, but involves immense complexities in practical application, especially under the current critical circumstances.”
In a related development, a non-public Russian government document, obtained and reviewed by Fox News, revealed Moscow’s plans to deepen cooperation with Iran beyond traditional trade. This includes alternative financial channels, nuclear cooperation, production of Russian aircraft components in Iran, major energy sector projects, and new transport routes extending toward the Arabian Gulf.
The 44-page Russian-language document, titled “Plan for Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran for the Period 2024–2026,” was approved by the Russian side on September 2, 2024. It outlines the responsibilities of ministries, agencies, and state companies in implementing projects, with deadlines extending until the end of 2026.
The document attributes to the Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom the responsibility for continuing work at Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, including fuel supply and maintenance for Unit 1, as well as construction activities related to Units 2 and 3.
On September 2, 2026, Rosatom announced the return of Russian specialists to the Bushehr plant, where Unit 1 is being prepared for scheduled maintenance and partial fuel replacement, while operations at the facility continue.
The document dates back more than a year before the current war between Iran and the United States, and therefore does not confirm whether any of the projects remain ongoing or how the conflict has affected Moscow’s plans.
