Level 1 - Absolute Beginner
President Trump says there will be no attack on Iran today. But he says an attack is still possible later.
He asks a big question. Should he make a deal with Iran, or should he finish the job? He has not decided.
Iran says it is ready for war. Iran also says it is ready to talk. In Saudi Arabia, a missile attack made people afraid at an airport.
- strike
- An attack from the air or with weapons.
- deal
- An agreement between two sides.
- possible
- Able to happen.
- airport
- A place where planes arrive and leave.
- missile
- A weapon that flies through the air.
- ready
- Prepared for something.
- talk
- To speak with someone about a problem.
- decide
- To choose what to do.
Level 2 - Elementary
On Sunday, October 25, President Donald Trump told reporters that the United States would not strike Iran that day. He added that new attacks were still possible.
He described his choice in simple words: make a deal with Iran, or finish them off. He also rejected an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the American navy stopped blocking Iranian ports.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said his country is ready for war to restart but is also open to diplomacy. In Saudi Arabia, the Houthis said they fired at Riyadh's airport, and Saudi forces said they stopped the missiles. Israel holds an election on Tuesday.
- reject
- To say no to an offer.
- reopen
- To open again.
- blockade
- Stopping ships from entering or leaving a place.
- strait
- A narrow sea passage between two larger areas of water.
- foreign minister
- The government leader in charge of relations with other countries.
- diplomacy
- Talking to solve problems without fighting.
- election
- A vote to choose leaders.
- intercept
- To stop something before it reaches its target.
Level 3 - Intermediate
President Donald Trump said on Sunday, October 25, that the United States would not strike Iran that day, but he stressed that military action was not off the table. He framed the choice as a deal with Tehran or an effort to finish them off, and he told one outlet that resuming strikes remained possible.
The White House had already said there would be no attack before the November 3 midterm elections, and reports say Washington and Israel have drawn up plans for larger strikes afterwards. Trump also turned down an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, saying Tehran's leaders wanted a deal because they were losing badly.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, replied that the management of the strait would not return to what it was and that Iran was fully prepared for war to resume, while staying open to diplomacy. Meanwhile the Houthis claimed a new missile attack on Riyadh's King Khalid airport. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted the threat, two people were hurt by shrapnel, and the airport later reopened. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran and its allies might try to disrupt Israel's election on Tuesday.
- off the table
- No longer being considered.
- midterm elections
- US elections held halfway through a president's term.
- proposal
- A formal suggestion.
- naval
- Related to a country's navy.
- shrapnel
- Small pieces of metal thrown out by an explosion.
- in exchange for
- Giving one thing to get another.
- resume
- To start again after a stop.
- disrupt
- To interrupt or spoil something.
Level 4 - Advanced
Donald Trump spent Sunday, October 25, telling the world what he would not do and, in the same breath, what he might. The president said no American strike on Iran would come that day, yet he insisted that resuming attacks remained on the table and cast his dilemma as a choice between cutting a deal and finishing Tehran off.
The restraint has a calendar attached. The White House has said it will not attack before the November 3 midterms, while reporting suggests Washington and Israel have prepared larger strikes for after the vote. Trump also dismissed an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in return for lifting the American naval blockade of Iranian ports, arguing that Iran's leaders were negotiating from weakness. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi answered that the strait's administration would never revert to its former shape and that Iran was fully prepared for renewed war even as it kept the diplomatic channel open.
The pressure is spreading. The Houthis claimed another missile attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport; Saudi Arabia reported an interception, two people were wounded by shrapnel, and the airport has since resumed operations. With Israeli voters heading to the polls on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran and its allies could try to disturb the election. Several details come from anonymous sources and claims by combatants, so they remain unverified.
- dilemma
- A hard choice between two options.
- restraint
- Self-control; holding back from action.
- revert
- To go back to an earlier state.
- negotiate
- To discuss terms to reach an agreement.
- weakness
- A lack of strength or power.
- resumed operations
- Started working again after a pause.
- unverified
- Not yet confirmed as true.
- channel
- A route for communication.
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