Trump open to meeting Iran's president, weighs destroying the nation

US President Donald Trump said he would "probably" be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian next week at the UN General Assembly, while also considering options including destroying Iran's entire nation, according to Sunday remarks to Fox News. Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst he is in a "critical phase" of decision-making, weighing options from total destruction of Iran, letting its economy "rot," or negotiating a deal, adding "really big things" will happen in the near future. He also signaled potential openness to meeting Pezeshkian at the UN gathering, which runs September 18-28 in New York, with the main debate scheduled for September 22-28. Tehran has not immediately responded to Trump's remarks about a possible meeting. The Middle East war has lasted over six months, beginning with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, prompting Iranian retaliation against Israel, US bases, and allies, plus closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil route.