The White House said on Thursday that diplomacy is President Donald Trump’s first choice for dealing with Iran and he will wait to see whether a deal can be struck at high-stakes talks, but also warned that he has military options at his disposal. Final preparations were underway for Friday’s meeting in Oman amid heightened tensions as the US builds up forces in the Middle East, which Trump has called a massive “armada,” and regional players seek to avert what many fear could escalate into a wider war.
