Trump warns Iran faces decision "the easy way or the hard way" as aides weigh options

President Donald Trump has signalled that a decision could be coming on whether the United States resumes large-scale military operations against Iran, warning Tehran it will face either “the easy way or the hard way.”

“We have a decision that I’ll make about Iran,” Trump told reporters on Saturday as he left the White House for a campaign swing in Ohio. “Iran’s been decimated. So the only question is, it’ll either be the easy way or the hard way. We’ll have it the easy or the hard way.”

Trump added that Iran is “virtually giving up” any plans to acquire a nuclear weapon. The remarks came a day after Axios reported that Trump’s top national security aides met secretly at Camp David on Friday to discuss US options on Iran and the Saudi-Houthi conflict in Yemen.

Iran, meanwhile, is preparing a broader and more forceful response if Washington resumes large-scale attacks, sources told Reuters, while continuing a diplomatic push that Iranian officials privately see as unlikely to succeed. Senior commanders are reviewing plans to expand potential targets beyond US-linked assets, according to three senior Iranian officials.

Speaking on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there is “no military solution” to the war and that “only negotiations based on justice and fairness” could end it, warning that Tehran’s response would be “stronger than before” if attacked.