President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering a military strike on Iran as part of an effort to pressure Tehran in ongoing nuclear negotiations.
“I guess I can say I am considering that,” Trump told reporters at the White House at the start of a meeting with governors, responding to a question about whether he was weighing a limited strike.
Trump’s remark aligns with earlier reports that he is weighing a limited strike in the coming days to pressure Iran into a nuclear agreement as negotiations continue.
It’s one of Trump’s most direct public admissions yet that a strike is on the table, as the administration pursues talks while warning it could turn to force if diplomacy breaks down.
On Thursday, Trump said the talks would end in either a deal or “something unfortunate” for Iran, and put a 10- to 15-day timeline on how long he’s willing to wait.
“It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise bad things happen,” Trump said at the Board of Peace meeting on Thursday.
U.S. and Iranian officials have held indirect talks in recent days, with both sides signaling some early movement but acknowledging major gaps remain unresolved.
A U.S. naval armada is already building in the region, with the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group in place and a second group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford on the way.
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