WASHINGTON — President Trump acknowledged Friday that he’s weighing limited military action against Iran while diplomatic negotiations over the country’s nuclear program remain ongoing.
When asked by reporters whether the United States might pursue targeted military strikes during ongoing talks, Trump responded, “I guess I can say I am considering that.” His comments came the same day Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced Tehran plans to complete a draft agreement within “the next two to three days” for submission to Washington.
“I don’t think it takes long, perhaps, in a matter of a week or so, we can start real, serious negotiations on the text and come to a conclusion,” Araghchi stated during his appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program.
The escalating rhetoric comes as the Trump administration has assembled the most substantial U.S. military deployment in the Middle East seen in decades, with additional naval vessels and aircraft heading to the region. Officials from both nations have indicated readiness for armed conflict should nuclear negotiations collapse.
“We are prepared for war, and we are prepared for peace,” Araghchi declared Friday.
Earlier this week, Trump stated he believes Iran has “enough time” over the next 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement following recent indirect diplomatic sessions in Geneva that showed minimal progress. However, these discussions have remained at an impasse for years, with Iran rejecting broader American and Israeli demands to curtail its missile capabilities and end support for militant organizations.
During Friday’s interview, Araghchi claimed his American negotiating partners haven’t demanded complete cessation of uranium enrichment in current discussions, contradicting statements from U.S. officials.
“What we are now talking about is how to make sure that Iran’s nuclear program, including enrichment, is peaceful and will remain peaceful forever,” he explained.
The Iranian diplomat added that his country would implement trust-building measures in exchange for sanctions relief.
A White House official, speaking anonymously, countered Araghchi’s assertions by reaffirming Trump’s position that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons capabilities or enrich uranium.
Iranian officials have maintained that discussions should focus exclusively on nuclear matters and claim they’ve halted uranium enrichment since U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities last June. While Trump described those attacks as having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the actual extent of damage remains unclear as Tehran has blocked international inspection teams.
Iran continues to assert its nuclear activities serve peaceful purposes, while the United States and other nations suspect the program aims toward weapons development.
