US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Washington could strike Iran as soon as "tomorrow," or reach a "big, beautiful" agreement with Tehran, amid reports that he's weighing renewed attacks on the Islamic Republic.
"We're thinking about doing it, and maybe tomorrow," Trump told reporters when asked how far along he was in considering a possible attack.
"Do you really think I'm going to tell you if I'm going to do it?" he added.
Trump said Iran could still avoid further military action by reaching an agreement with the US, noting that "they want to make a deal, but the problem is, will they hold the deal?"
Trump argued that his goal was to prevent Iran from eventually developing a nuclear weapon, saying an earlier US operation involving B-2 bombers would not have been enough to guarantee a lasting outcome.
"I've got to make it permanent," he said. "That's the only reason I'm doing it."
The president also claimed that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz had increased compared with before the war began, without providing figures during his remarks.
He offered no firm decision on what comes next, instead presenting both military action and negotiations as possible outcomes.
"I may have to finish it off, or maybe they'll make a deal," Trump said. "But I'm not sure. Either way, we win."
The US-Israeli war on Iran, which began in February and led to a wider conflict in the Middle East, remains unresolved despite a ceasefire and an agreement to finalize a peace deal.
