Trump's decision nearing on Iran: 'deal or finish it off'

U.S. President Donald Trump said it's "getting to be decision time" on whether he will make a deal with Tehran or resume attacks as Iranian and Houthi threats against Americans continue to grow, Fox News reported.

“I have a decision to make: Do I finish it off, which would be very easy to do, or do I make a deal? That’s all. We don’t play games," Trump said.

He has suggested that U.S. strikes on Iran could resume after the Nov. 3 midterm elections and he has sent additional forces, including a third aircraft carrier group, toward the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. is reducing diplomatic and military staffing in parts of the Middle East amid growing threats from Iran and the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. Houthis have been repeatedly striking the Riyadh airport. The State Department had initially acknowledged departures of diplomats only from Saudi Arabia, but an American official told Bloomberg News Friday that staffing changes are taking place more broadly as Iran intensifies attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran is now bracing for a fresh U.S. bombing campaign around the midterms and is preparing to retaliate across the Middle East, including against Israel and the UAE, Bloomberg reported earlier, citing a person familiar with Tehran’s thinking.