New Delhi:
The United States could strike Iran as soon as Sunday, President Donald Trump said on Saturday, a day after threatening Tehran with "another little Epic Fury".
Trump, however, also said there is a "possibility of a nice, big, and beautiful" agreement with Iran to end the war in the Middle East, which is at a stalemate after nearly eight months.
Trump, while interacting with reporters after casting his ballot in the midterm elections early on Saturday in Florida, was asked if the US would carry out a possible attack on Iran.
"Do you really think I'd tell you that?," he responded.
READ | 'Iran's Plot Against Americans Have Reached Advanced Stages': US Spy Chief
The reporter pushed back, saying, "We got to ask".
Trump called the question "stupid" but said the US was "thinking about" striking Iran.
"Maybe tomorrow... There's a possibility I will. There's also a possibility we'll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement. They want to make a deal, but the problem is, will they hold the deal?" he responded.
"How far along are you on a possible attack on Iran?" @POTUS: "Do you really think I'd tell you that?... There's a possibility I will. There's also a possibility we'll have a nice, big, beautiful agreement. They want to make a deal, but the problem is will they hold the deal?" https://t.co/ansjVMJlH9
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 24, 2026
He reiterated that they attacked Tehran so that it doesn't have a nuclear weapon.
"We May Do Another Little Epic Fury"
Donald Trump had suggested on Friday that the US might launch renewed military operations against Iran.
"We may do another little Epic Fury," Trump said, referring to the US name for its attacks on Iran.
READ | Trump's 'Epic Fury' Warning After US Envoy's 'Strike This Weekend' Remark, Iran Responds
Trump had earlier said the Iran strikes would not happen before US congressional elections on November 3.
A US envoy on Friday had also said the US could attack Iran this weekend.
"Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely," Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, said in a podcast.
The War In Middle East
The war in the Middle East began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, killing the country's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders.
In response, Tehran struck American bases in the Middle East and shut the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most vital energy conduit, which sent the oil prices across the world skyrocketing.
READ | "Don't Play With Fire": Iran Warns Of Undersea Cable Attacks If War Resumes
On June 17, Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed a 14-point deal to end the war. The agreement provided for an immediate cessation of military operations, including in Lebanon, and commited both countries to pursuing a final agreement within 60 days.
Trump, however, on July 8, said the deal was "over". Tehran also suspended the memorandum of understanding a week later, accusing Washington of "violating all its commitments".
Since then, Trump has reiterated that he's in no rush to reach a deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections Tuesday, has in recent days also repeatedly vowed to topple the clerical state in Iran, following two major bombing campaigns against it since last year.