The US president says military action is “always on the table”, but leaves the door open to talks aimed at reaching an agreement.
Donald Trump has said he is not seeking war with Tehran and indicated he was ready to defuse tensions by reaching a deal to bolster Iran’s flagging economy.
While the US president said he will impose further sanctions on Monday aimed at stopping the country from obtaining nuclear weapons, he left the door open to negotiations aimed at reaching a settlement.
The overtures from the White House came as it was confirmed the US had launched a cyberattack against Iranian military computer systems, and as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said he was travelling to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to “ensure we’re strategically aligned” with allies.
Mr Trump earlier said he pulled out of airstrikes in retaliation for Iran’s downing of an unmanned US drone because it would have killed 150 people.
The cyberattacks – planned by the US Cyber Command over weeks during escalating tensions between the two countries – disabled Iranian intelligence systems that controlled its rocket and missile launchers, officials said.
Tensions between the two countries have risen since the US pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal last year between Iran and world powers and reinstated sanctions.
