Trump Gives Iran Two-Week Ultimatum on Nuclear Program, Weighs Joining Israel’s Strikes
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will decide within the next two weeks whether to order U.S. military action against Iran, as diplomatic efforts continue amid intensifying conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking at a press briefing, relayed the president’s statement: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”
The announcement comes as Israel wages an extensive air campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile infrastructure. Iranian forces have retaliated with strikes on Israeli cities, including a missile attack Thursday that hit a hospital in Be’er Sheva and residential buildings in Tel Aviv, injuring more than 240 people.
Trump’s focus, Leavitt emphasized, is not regime change in Tehran but preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “Let’s be very clear: Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon,” she said. “That would pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the United States, and to the entire world.”
Behind the scenes, U.S. and Iranian officials have engaged in quiet diplomacy. Special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly held talks with Iran’s foreign minister, while European foreign ministers prepared to meet their Iranian counterpart Friday in Geneva to push for a peaceful resolution.
Trump has supported Israel’s military campaign but hopes diplomacy can avert the need for direct U.S. involvement. “The president is always interested in a diplomatic solution … but he’s not afraid to use strength as well,” Leavitt said.
According to reports, Trump’s advisers have presented options for striking Iran’s deeply buried Fordow enrichment facility, a key target in dismantling Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The U.S. is believed to be the only country capable of delivering the 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs required to destroy the site.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s campaign is proceeding ahead of schedule and reaffirmed his country’s readiness to strike all of Iran’s nuclear facilities, including Fordow. Whether U.S. assistance will be necessary, he said, is up to Trump. “We will achieve all our objectives. We have the capability to do that,” Netanyahu told Israel’s Kan broadcaster.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials warned of a “harsh response” if the U.S. joins Israel’s military campaign, and the Pentagon has repositioned assets in the Middle East in anticipation of potential retaliation.
Critics, including Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), questioned Trump’s deadline, calling it a familiar stalling tactic. “He’s used it a million times before to pretend he might be doing something he’s not. It just makes America look weak and silly,” Murphy posted on X.
Despite growing pressure, Trump signaled he is not seeking a ceasefire but a decisive outcome. “We are looking for a total and complete victory,” he said Wednesday. “You know what victory is? No nuclear weapon.”
For now, Trump appears to be balancing diplomacy, military readiness, and political considerations at home, as his MAGA base urges caution over deepening U.S. military involvement in the region.
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