Trump says hasn’t decided on major Iran strikes, Tehran getting ‘serious’

US President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he had not yet decided on launching major strikes against Iran, indicating that Tehran was becoming “serious” in discussions with Washington. This follows reports of Trump considering large-scale military operations amidst nearly two weeks of US and Iranian strikes across the region. Trump emphasized that Iran faces a choice between a deal or “much higher level” of strikes, stating, “We’re locked and loaded and ready to go. But we’re talking to them.” The conflict, nearing its fifth month, has seen US missiles strike targets in Iran, and Iran retaliate against US bases in neighboring countries. Separately, Trump expressed trust in Russian and Chinese leaders not to arm Iran, despite intelligence reports suggesting otherwise.