• Suggested slug: trump-iran-war-final-decision-supertanker-hormuz
• Category: World
• Focus keyphrase: win the Iran war
• SEO title: Trump Decides How to Win the Iran War: Nice or Not-Nice
• Meta description: Trump says the US must decide how to win the Iran war as a supertanker strikes a mine near Hormuz and Pakistan’s Asim Munir holds talks in Tehran.
• Tags: Donald Trump, Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Asim Munir, US-Iran war, Marco Rubio, oil prices, Pakistan-Iran relations
• Original element: Pakistan angle — Field Marshal Asim Munir’s Tuesday meetings in Tehran with Iran’s security chief and parliament speaker, verified across Dawn and the Times of Israel live blogs; multi-source synthesis of the night’s escalation.
• Source: Dawn live blog https://www.dawn.com/news/1976395/trump-says-need-to-make-final-decision-on-which-way-to-win-iran-war (published 2026-10-20); Times of Israel live blog https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-october-20-2026/
• Story date: Tuesday, 2026-10-20
• Image note: AP wire photograph via the Times of Israel live blog; caption must carry “Image: AP”

Trump Decides How to Win the Iran War: “Nice or Not-Nice Way”

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington has to make a final decision on how to win the Iran war, asking reporters: “Do we want to win the nice way or the not-nice way?” His remarks came as a supertanker caught fire after striking a mine south of the Strait of Hormuz and Pakistan’s army chief held fresh talks in Tehran.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters the United States was doing “very well” with Iran but had to decide which path to take, adding that European leaders had declined his request for help.

The remarks were reported by Dawn’s live blog of the conflict and independently noted by the Times of Israel’s live updates, which quoted Trump saying the US had “to make a final decision of which way do we want to win.”

How Washington plans to win the Iran war

In an interview with the Indian outlet News1, Rubio said Iran was openly targeting commercial shipping: “You haven’t seen that since the Second World War. They are doing Nazi U-boat tactics.” He added that US forces were defending shipping and most Iranian attempts had been thwarted.

The latest escalation at sea saw a supertanker catch fire after striking a sea mine south of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said the vessel was “violating” Iranian regulations, according to Reuters reporting cited by Iranian media; the claim has not been independently verified.

Oil markets reacted sharply. US crude surged more than five per cent to $109.60 a barrel while Brent rose to $111.69, close to a five-month high. The IEA chief said markets were unlikely to normalise in 2027 while the war continued.

Tehran holds talks with Pakistan’s army chief

The same evening, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir held a series of meetings in Tehran. Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei told him Tehran would not let nuclear material leave the country.

“Not even a tiny bit of enriched nuclear material will leave Iran. Such materials constitute a major asset and national wealth for the Iranian people,” Rezaei said, according to AFP reporting of Iranian state TV. He added there would be no negotiations until the United States took steps to build trust under Iran’s conditions.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf told Munir that Tehran had “no new message” for the US, and that Washington could only win back Iran’s trust by meeting the seven conditions Tehran has set. Munir also met President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss mediation efforts, as our earlier report covered.

Wider escalation

The night brought several other flashpoints. Netanyahu told his office he had discussed with Trump their commitment to “completing the elimination of the Iranian regime,” a pledge he made publicly earlier this week. Israel’s defence minister warned that any attack from Lebanon on northern Israel would be answered with strikes on Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburb.

British counter-terrorism police re-arrested two London men, a 24-year-old Briton and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national, on suspicion of spying for Iran over last month’s security incident at RAF Fairford.

The war, which began in February with a US-Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iranian targets, has kept the region on edge for eight months. With the strait still contested and oil near five-month highs, Tuesday’s developments suggest neither Washington nor Tehran is close to choosing “the nice way.”

Frequently asked questions

What did Trump say about ending the Iran war?

Trump said the US was doing “very well” with Iran but had to “make a final decision of which way do we want to win,” asking whether it should be “the nice way or the not-nice way.” He has used similar phrasing before, describing the choice as the easy way or the hard way.

What happened to the supertanker near Hormuz?

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said a supertanker caught fire after striking a sea mine south of the Strait of Hormuz while violating Iranian regulations. The claim was reported by Reuters citing Iranian media and has not been independently verified.

What did Asim Munir discuss in Tehran?

Pakistan’s army chief met Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei, Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian. Rezaei ruled out any movement of enriched uranium out of Iran and said negotiations depended on the US building trust, while Ghalibaf said Iran had “no new message” for Washington.

How have oil prices reacted?

US crude jumped 5.7 per cent to $109.60 a barrel and Brent crude rose to $111.69, near a five-month high, on supply concerns from the conflict. The IEA chief said markets were unlikely to normalise in 2027.