Axios

President Trump is leaning toward striking Iran to punish the regime for killing protesters, but he hasn't made a final decision and is exploring Iranian proposals for negotiations, a White House official with direct knowledge told Axios.

Why it matters: While Trump threatened the Iranian regime with strikes if protesters were killed, it's far from clear that U.S. bombs will turn the tide in Tehran. Trump is expected to discuss options in a meeting with his top national security team on Tuesday.

President Trump raised alarms Sunday when seemed to declare himself the "acting president of Venezuela."

Why it matters: Though Trump has no formal title in Venezuela, the president has continued to assert his authority over the country, raising questions about how long the U.S. will maintain its influence there.

Weeks into protests in Iran, President Trump has indicated he could soon intervene in favor of protesters, pressuring a regime already reeling from street uprisings.

Why it matters: The stakes are life and death in Iran and escalating. More than 540 protesters have been killed, reports said, and the regime has blocked internet access.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reached out to White House envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend amid President Trump's threats of military force against the regime in support of the recent protests, according to two sources with knowledge.

Why it matters: The sources said the outreach seemed to be an effort by Iran to deescalate with the U.S., or at least buy more time before Trump orders any action to further weaken the regime.

President Trump's huddle with oil executives and Energy Secretary Chris Wright's subsequent press blitz expose tensions running through the plans to boost Venezuelan output.

Why it matters: Controlling oil revenues and exports, and reviving its broken-down oilfields, are central White House goals after toppling Nicolás Maduro.

President Trump said Sunday he may exclude Exxon Mobil from his drive for U.S. companies to invest in Venezuela, after the oil giant's CEO described the South American country as "uninvestable."

What he's saying: "I didn't like Exxon's response," said Trump Sunday evening of the CEO's comments during his meeting with U.S. oil giants at the White House two days ago.

President Trump said Sunday Iran reached out to the U.S. a day earlier and proposed to negotiate a nuclear deal.

• "We may meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what's happening, before the meeting. … but a meeting is being set up," he told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday.

Why it matters: Trump's surprising remarks come as protests in Iran intensify, the death toll rises and the U.S. considers taking military action against the regime.

President Trump "deserves the Nobel Peace Prize many times over," the White House said Sunday, after organizers of the prestigious award ruled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado can't give her Nobel to him.

Why it matters: Machado is due to meet with Trump in Washington, D.C., this week and she had indicated she wanted to give him her Nobel after praising the U.S. raid in Caracas that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

President Trump zeroed in on Cuba's regime in a flurry of Truth Social posts Sunday morning, demanding it negotiate "BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE."

The big picture: Since the stunning U.S. operation that captured Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, the administration has threatened new international interventions.