Conway: Trump keeping ‘many options on the table’ on Iran retaliation, meeting with Iranian leaders

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway on Sunday demurred on Sen. Lindsay Graham’s (R-S.C.) call to bomb Iranian oil fields but said the Trump administration will “keep many options on the table.”

Graham called for such an attack following a drone attack on Saudi oil fields and an oil production facility. Iran-backed Houthi rebels took credit for the attack.

{mosads}“This president and his national security team keep many options on the table particularly when it comes to retaliating against malign behavior,” Conway told “Fox News Sunday” guest host Bill Hemmer.

Conway added that President Trump and his national security team “don’t sit around and say ‘let’s study it, let’s have a commission on it’… Secretary Pompeo went right out and pointed the finger at the aggressor here.” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo placed the blame entirely on Tehran, not mentioning the Houthis and saying “there is no evidence the attack came from Yemen” where they are based.

Conway also demurred when asked about comments by Trump indicating he might be willing to meet with Iranian leaders.

“You don’t sit down and meet with people unless you have all these other accoutrements around the relationship … the president will always consider his options [but] we’ve never committed to that meeting,” she said.

Bill Hemmer asks Kellyanne Conway if a meeting between President Trump and the Iranian president will take place. #FNS #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/om3WTcqi83

— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) September 15, 2019

“I’ll allow the president to announce a meeting or a non-meeting,” but “when you attack Saudi Arabia [and] critical infrastructure to the global economy—you’re not helping your case much,” she added.