“The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries,” he added.

US President Donald Trump has presented Iran with a stark choice between reaching a diplomatic agreement and facing further military action, as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high despite a ceasefire.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump framed the decision as a choice between negotiations and intensified military operations.

“Do I make a deal with them, or do I finish them off? That’s the only question,” he said.

Trump also claimed that US forces had established control over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important shipping route for global energy supplies.

“Remember, we now control the Hormuz Strait. They get nothing. Yes, we get everything,” he said, describing the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and shipping as highly effective.

The president claimed that commercial activity through the waterway had exceeded pre-war levels but did not provide figures to support the assertion.

On Saturday, Trump said Washington could launch fresh strikes against Iran or reach what he described as a “big, beautiful” agreement. He questioned whether Tehran would honour any potential deal while maintaining that either outcome would amount to an American victory.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz remains a major point of contention in the conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Although a ceasefire and diplomatic efforts have reduced the intensity of fighting, tensions over maritime access and the terms of a lasting settlement remain unresolved.

Araghchi Calls for Region Free of Foreign Forces

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that lasting peace and stability in the region required the complete withdrawal of foreign military forces.

Speaking at the Foreign Ministry, Araghchi said regional countries should work towards an environment without foreign military deployments.

“To achieve peace and stability, our region must move towards the complete absence of foreign forces,” he said.

His remarks came amid renewed threats by Washington and Israel to resume military operations against Iran. On Friday, Trump said the United States “may do another little Epic Fury”, referring to the military campaign launched against Iran on February 28.

Araghchi said the possibility of renewed hostilities would not alter Tehran’s fundamental policies.

“Recently, there has been talk of a new war, but I am already thinking about the post-war period. Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same,” he said during a televised event in Tehran.

He added that Iran had already experienced two rounds of attacks and warned that another attempt would not produce a different outcome.

Araghchi also said the conflict had changed the regional security environment, including arrangements governing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

“The current war has changed everything. We must accept that new realities are taking hold. Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz will no longer be the same, and the management of the strait will no longer be the same,” he said.

An April 8 ceasefire between Iran and the United States halted the most intense fighting, although sporadic exchanges continued around the strategic waterway.

Tehran has asserted control over the strait since the conflict began and has targeted vessels attempting to pass without its authorisation. Washington has opposed Iran’s restrictions and maintained a naval counter-blockade targeting Iranian ports.

A memorandum of understanding reached in June outlined a possible path towards a permanent settlement, but the arrangement later unravelled as both sides accused each other of violating its terms. Tehran has since called for a return to the agreement.

Iran Claims It Shot Down US Drone

Iran’s army said on Sunday that its air defence forces had shot down a US Lucas-type drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Citing the military’s public relations department, the agency reported that the drone had been destroyed by air defence systems operating within Iran’s integrated air defence network.

The reported incident came as Trump considered renewed military action against Iran while leaving the door open to a diplomatic agreement.

The claim could not be independently verified from the information provided.

Ghalibaf Warns of Response to Any Territorial Violation

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any violation of Iran’s territorial integrity would trigger a forceful response.

Addressing the opening of a parliamentary session on Sunday, Ghalibaf said Tehran would not be intimidated by threats of an all-out war or the assassination of Iranian officials, Press TV reported.

“We will not be intimidated, and we are ready to deliver a response beyond the enemy’s imagination to any violation of the territorial integrity of our great Iran,” he said.

“Threats of an all-out war or assassination will not force the Iranian nation to back down from its rights and interests,” he added.

His comments underscored Tehran’s determination to resist further military pressure as Washington weighs its next move.

Trump Says He Needs to Identify Iran’s Negotiators

Trump said on Saturday that he needed to stop killing Iranian leaders to determine who Washington was negotiating with.

“I gotta stop” killing Iranian leaders, he told a campaign rally in Georgia, adding that he needed to establish whom the United States was dealing with.

He also claimed that US military operations had destroyed much of Iran’s military capability and leadership.

Trump defended his 2018 decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was negotiated under former president Barack Obama.

He argued that the agreement had failed to prevent Iran from pursuing a path towards developing nuclear weapons.

“We obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury,” Trump said, referring to military operations he said had targeted Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

“We defeated them militarily, financially, and otherwise. We have to make sure that they never, ever have a nuclear weapon,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly said that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains a central objective of US policy.

Trump Says Fresh Attack Could Come Within Days

Trump also told reporters on Saturday that the United States could launch another attack against Iran as soon as the following day or reach a comprehensive agreement with Tehran.

“We’re thinking about doing it, and maybe tomorrow,” he said when asked about the possibility of further military action.

When pressed for details, Trump declined to confirm whether a strike was imminent.

“Do you really think I’m going to tell you if I’m going to do it?” he said.

The president maintained that Iran could avoid further attacks by agreeing to a deal, but questioned whether Tehran would honour its commitments.

Trump said his objective was to ensure that Iran could never develop a nuclear weapon, arguing that previous military operations had not provided a permanent guarantee.

“I’ve got to make it permanent,” he said. “That’s the only reason I’m doing it.”

He again claimed that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz had increased since the conflict began, without providing supporting figures.

Trump did not announce a final decision, leaving both military action and negotiations on the table.

“I may have to finish it off, or maybe they’ll make a deal,” he said. “But I’m not sure. Either way, we win.”

US Intelligence Warns of Iranian Threats to Americans

Separately, a senior US intelligence official warned that Iran had significantly increased efforts to target American personnel and that alleged plots against US citizens had reached advanced stages, according to a memo reviewed by Reuters.

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton issued the warning in a message dated October 23 to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. CIA Director John Ratcliffe was also copied on the unclassified memo, which was first reported by Axios.

“Specifically, through various channels, we have received intelligence that Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel,” Clayton wrote.

“The lethal plotting efforts by the Iranians against US citizens have reached advanced stages in both the Middle East and certain other countries,” he added.

The warning followed a reduction in staffing at the US mission in Saudi Arabia earlier in the week amid intensified attacks by Houthi forces, according to the report.

The developments have added to security concerns across the region, where attacks on commercial shipping and the risk of renewed US-Iran hostilities continue to threaten stability.

With Washington weighing further military action and Tehran insisting that foreign forces must leave the region, prospects for a lasting agreement remain uncertain.