Iran claims world will be 'astonished' by new weapons, Trump in 'deciding mode'
Iran threatens to deploy new weapons and strike new targets if the U.S. launches another attack as President Donald Trump weighs his next move in the war.
Iran says world will be ‘astonished’ by new weapons as Trump weighs next move
Iran warned Monday that it could deploy new weapons and expand the geography of the conflict if the United States launches another offensive, as President Donald Trump weighs his next move in the war.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Tehran would change both its weaponry and targets in response to renewed U.S. military action, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.
“We will introduce new weapons with new capabilities into the battle, and the world will be astonished,” Mohebbi said, according to Iran International. He also claimed Iran has targets that have not previously come under attack and is prepared for a prolonged conflict.
Trump, meanwhile, told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst on Sunday that he is in “deciding mode” and warned Iran that “big things” could happen if Tehran does not “behave.”
"It's basically three things,” Trump said. “Wipe it out, let it rot with the economy, or make a deal."
Trump, Iranian president converge on NYC for ‘dramatic’ UN showdown
President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are set to converge on New York City for the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) this week, setting up what former White House officials describe as a "dramatic" diplomatic moment, with Tehran’s delegation effectively "captive" under U.S. restrictions amid heightened Middle East tensions.
Pezeshkian, for one, is scheduled to address the assembly on Wednesday, Reuters and Iran's semi-official news agency, Mehr, reported Sunday, with Trump at the rostrum on Tuesday.
"The choreography here is going to make for a fairly dramatic moment," Theo Wold, former acting assistant attorney general and White House domestic policy advisor, told Fox News Digital.
"For the Iranians, the limitation is going to be that there's going to be less access to the international press and less ability for them to essentially poke the Trump administration in the eye," Wold added before noting that it is "pretty sensible to allow them to participate in the international forum and to discuss whatever issues they think are pertinent to their regime and then tell them to go home."
The high-profile gathering also comes as Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran amid the almost seven-month war. Tehran, meanwhile, has set seven conditions for talks with Washington, according to Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey.
Bessent says China ‘very engaged’ as US tightens sanctions on Iranian airlines
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Iranian airlines will effectively be shut down beginning Wednesday under the threat of U.S. secondary sanctions, while saying Chinese officials have been “very engaged” in Washington’s economic pressure campaign against Tehran.
Bessent told CNBC that air service providers could be cut off from the U.S. dollar system if they provide services to Iranian airlines.
When an Iranian airline lands at an airport, “you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system,” Bessent said.
The Treasury secretary also said the U.S. has been holding positive discussions with Chinese financial authorities over compliance with sanctions targeting Iran.
Bessent made the comments after concluding talks Sunday night with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Waltz says Trump 'always open to a deal' when asked about meeting Iranian president
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Monday that President Donald Trump is “always open to a deal” when asked whether the president would consider meeting with his Iranian counterpart.
“The president is always open to a deal,” Waltz told “FOX & Friends” when Brian Kilmeade asked whether Trump would be open to meeting the Iranian president.
Waltz, however, said any Iranian official sitting down with Trump would need to have the authority to negotiate on behalf of Iran’s supreme leader.
“We have to know that whether it's the Iranian president or whomever else in their delegation, that they can speak and enter into a deal on behalf of the Ayatollah,” Waltz said.
Trump expressed openness Sunday to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian as his administration maintains economic pressure on Tehran.
Waltz also argued that mounting U.S. economic pressure on Iran has weakened Tehran’s position, declaring that “our foot is on the neck of the Iranian economy.”
The ambassador pointed to the falling Iranian currency, soaring inflation and dwindling foreign currency reserves, while saying Tehran is struggling to maintain gasoline subsidies and pay some government workers and military personnel. Waltz credited Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s economic pressure campaign and said Trump does not intend to ease up on Iran.
The comments come as world leaders gather in New York for the U.N. General Assembly and questions mount over whether renewed diplomacy could emerge between Washington and Tehran.
Projectile strikes tanker in Strait of Hormuz, injuring 2 crew members, UKMTO says
A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile” Monday, leaving two crew members with minor injuries, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.
UKMTO said military authorities informed the agency that the tanker was struck while conducting an inbound transit through the strategic waterway.
The vessel remained operational and was continuing to its next port of call under its own power, UKMTO said. No environmental impact has been reported.
Authorities are investigating the incident, and UKMTO advised vessels traveling through the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy chokepoint, with roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passing through the waterway in peacetime. Tankers are traversing the strait, though traffic remains well below what it was before the war broke out in February.
US virtual embassy in Iran urges Americans to leave country amid escalation fears
The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran urged Americans to leave the country immediately Sunday, warning of potential flight cancellations and airspace closures amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
“Do not travel to Iran for any reason. U.S. citizens should leave Iran now,” the embassy said in a security alert shared online.The embassy said the security environment remained “complex,” with the potential for “unforeseen escalation.”
It advised Americans in the region to exercise heightened vigilance and check with their airlines directly for updates on flight departures.
The alert also warned that “Iranian-supported Houthis” have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports.“
This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly,” the embassy said.
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