President Donald Trump says it is "getting to be decision time" on Iran, with a deal and renewed military attacks both still on the table. His October 25 warning came as Iranian officials rejected pressure to change their demands and a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran.

The president's latest comments put the prospect of another bombing campaign back in focus ahead of the November 3 U.S. midterms. He did not announce a new strike order or set a public deadline in the interview.

Trump puts the choice in blunt terms

Speaking in a Fox News interview, Trump said:

"I have a decision to make. Do I finish it off, which would be very easy to do, or do I make a deal?"

The discussion also turned to reports that Iran could be trying to rebuild nuclear facilities damaged in earlier attacks. Trump said the United States was closely watching Pickaxe Mountain, an Iranian nuclear site, and pointed to American surveillance capabilities.

He claimed other sites hit by U.S. bombers had been buried under thousands of tons of rock. He also defended the U.S. Navy's blockade of Iran.

The remarks followed his October 23 suggestion that Washington "may do another little Epic Fury," referring to the military operation against Iran that began on February 28. On Saturday, he had left open both the possibility of an attack as soon as Sunday and what he called a "big, beautiful" agreement.

Iran says its position hasn't changed

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gave a different message at a televised event in Tehran on Sunday. According to Al Jazeera's reporting, he said:

"Whether there is war or not, our policies remain the same."

Araghchi argued that another round of attacks would produce no different outcome from previous fighting. A parliamentary official quoted by the network, citing Iran's state-linked ISNA news agency, separately said negotiations would be "meaningless" until Iran's seven conditions were met. He described Trump's threats as an attempt to intimidate Tehran.

Reuters reported on October 20 that Iran's proposal called for Washington to lift its maritime blockade, ease restrictions on oil exports, release frozen assets and end hostilities on all fronts. Washington wanted Iran's nuclear program discussed from the outset; Tehran wanted its initial conditions met before nuclear negotiations began.

Diplomatic contacts were continuing. A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera, on condition of anonymity, that a Qatari delegation had traveled to Tehran that day. The official described the trip as part of routine exchanges during heightened tensions and blamed Washington's refusal to accept Iran's demands for the deadlock.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had also accused the United States of derailing negotiations in remarks broadcast on October 24. Even so, he said efforts to reach an agreement should continue.

Military options are being prepared

Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that U.S. Central Command had prepared options for renewed strikes, citing reporting by The Hill. CENTCOM oversees American forces in the Middle East, and the reported options were being prepared for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

That reporting focused on possible attacks after the midterms. Earlier this month, Axios reported that the Pentagon had instructed CENTCOM to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations, with potential targets including energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites.

The New York Times separately reported on Wednesday that the United States and Israel had drawn up joint plans for an attack after the U.S. election, according to Al Jazeera's account.

The timing puts the confrontation alongside two elections: Israelis vote on October 27, followed by the U.S. congressional elections a week later. Al Jazeera reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing for another attack on Iran.

Julie Norman, an associate fellow at Chatham House, questioned what a further bombing campaign would accomplish. Speaking to Al Jazeera, she asked:

"What would these strategies do to force Iran to the negotiating table? And I don't think there has been a clear answer to that."