Tehran Says Its Stance Will Hold Whether or Not Trump Resumes Strikes, as Oil Stays Near $115

Iran said on Sunday that indirect contacts with the United States are still under way and that its positions will not shift even if President Trump orders American attacks to resume. The statements came as global oil prices stayed elevated, with Brent crude near $115 a barrel early Monday.

In an interview with Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Mr. Trump framed his choice in stark terms. "I have a decision to make: Do I finish it off, which would be very easy to do, or do I make a deal?" he said. On Friday he had suggested the U.S. "may do another little Epic Fury," a reference to the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran that began on Feb. 28. He also claimed the U.S. now controls the Strait of Hormuz and criticized former President Barack Obama over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, from which Mr. Trump withdrew during his first term.

Speculation has grown that Mr. Trump could order new strikes after next Tuesday's midterm elections. Additional U.S. forces, including a third aircraft carrier group, have been sent to the region, though American diplomatic staffing there has been reduced.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a televised event in Tehran that talk of a new war has not altered his government's thinking. "Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same," he said, adding that Washington and Israel had tried twice already and "will achieve no different outcome." Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the window for diplomacy remains open and that messages are still being relayed to the U.S. through intermediaries, although direct talks have appeared stalled for weeks.

Energy markets remain on edge. Brent rose sharply late last week on supply worries tied to the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, with the Northern Hemisphere approaching winter, when demand for gas climbs. The U.K. navy's Maritime Trade Operations center, known as UKMTO, said Monday that a tanker heading out of the Strait of Hormuz was hit on Friday by an unknown projectile that disabled it. The crew were reported safe. Iran had claimed to strike at least four tankers near the strait on Thursday, but those claims were not corroborated, and Mr. Trump accused Tehran of inventing such attacks to push up prices before the midterms.

Regional powers are trying to ease tensions. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin were due in Tehran on Monday for security talks with Iranian officials, including security chief Mohsen Rezaei, according to Iranian and Saudi authorities. Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said the visit supports de-escalation and backs mediation by Qatar and Pakistan. The talks follow eight months of war in the region.

Violence also continued in Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis toward Riyadh and destroyed two missile launchers in Sanaa. The Iran-backed group claimed it hit Riyadh's international airport with a missile, hours after flights resumed, and said it struck oil pumping stations with drones. Earlier attacks this month had closed the airport for more than two weeks and forced Saudi Arabia to postpone its flagship investment conference until 2027.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Iran and its proxies might attack to disrupt Tuesday's elections, saying, "Don't test us." Defense Minister Israel Katz rejected a Channel 12 report of a clash between Netanyahu and army chief Eyal Zamir over a new directive, calling it "entirely baseless." Netanyahu had called the report "rubbish." Iran's foreign ministry said the election result "makes no difference" to Tehran.