President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States may carry out a targeted military strike on Iran if ongoing talks fail to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, raising tensions in the region as diplomacy continues.
Trump made the comments while answering questions from journalists, shortly after US officials hinted that military measures remained a possibility. On Thursday, he suggested a short timeframe for a decision, saying the world would know "over the next, probably, 10 days" whether a diplomatic agreement would be reached or military action would follow.
The US has steadily increased its military footprint in the Gulf in recent weeks, signaling readiness as negotiations continue.
The heightened presence comes amid growing concerns from the US and its European partners that Iran may be moving closer to developing a nuclear weapon—a claim Iran denies.
Diplomatic talks between US and Iranian officials in Switzerland have reportedly made some progress.
On Friday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country is preparing "a draft of a possible agreement" and will submit it to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the coming days.
Meanwhile, US forces continue to move strategic assets closer to Iranian waters. The USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, appears to be headed to the region, accompanied by the USS Abraham Lincoln and additional destroyers, combat ships, and fighter jets.
Satellite imagery also shows that Iran has reinforced military facilities, while Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has used social media to caution the United States.
"The US President constantly says that the US has sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware," Khamenei wrote, reflecting the growing anxiety on both sides.
Trump’s communication style often leaves room for ambiguity. He frequently answers reporters’ questions during extended sessions in the Oval Office or on Air Force One, but his remarks do not always reflect the immediate actions of his administration.
"I'm not going to talk to you about that," he said Thursday when asked about possible strikes. "We're going to make a deal or get a deal one way or the other."
At this stage, the exact goals of any potential strike remain unclear. US officials are said to have offered Trump a range of options, some of which could involve operations lasting several weeks.
Trump has a history of using tight deadlines to maintain strategic surprise. Last July, during Operation Midnight Hammer, US forces attacked Iranian nuclear facilities even as officials publicly discussed the potential for successful negotiations.
The day before those strikes, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read a statement from Trump saying that because "negotiations 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".
Any military action now would come at a politically sensitive moment in the United States. Polls show rising public concern over Trump’s handling of domestic issues such as the economy and immigration.
Unlike brief operations in the past, including the one-day strike on Iranian facilities and the mission to capture Nicolás Maduro in January, a drawn-out conflict with Iran risks eroding support among parts of Trump’s base that favor a focus on ending long-term foreign wars.
The tension highlights the complex balance between pursuing national security objectives abroad and maintaining domestic political backing.
