US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, saying Tehran has at most 10 to 15 days to reach a nuclear deal with the United States or risk “unfortunate” consequences, including possible military action.
Addressing reporters, Trump said Thursday that efforts to secure an agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme were ongoing but that time was running short. “We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” he told the press, adding that 10 to 15 days would be sufficient time for Iran to respond to US demands.
Speaking earlier at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Trump reiterated the ultimatum and said Iran must agree to terms that would end its destabilising actions in the Middle East.
He said, “Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that’ll be great. If they don’t join us, that’ll be great, too. But it’ll be a very different path.”
“They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region. And they must make a deal,” he said, issuing a repeated warning that “bad things will happen” if Tehran fails to do so.
Trump also suggested that Washington’s approach could escalate if negotiations collapse. “Now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” he said, indicating that a decision on military action could come within about 10 days.
The president’s remarks came amid a significant US military buildup in the Middle East, which officials say is aimed at applying pressure on Iran and preparing for possible military operations if diplomacy fails. According to media reports, the deployment includes two aircraft carrier strike groups, dozens of fighter jets, refueling tankers, and advanced air defence systems, marking one of the most substantial US military presences in the region since the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Sources cited by CNN say US forces could be prepared to strike Iranian targets “as early as this weekend,” though no final decision has yet been made by the president.
Trump has consistently called on Iran to completely abandon its nuclear program, including halting all uranium enrichment activities.
In a 12-day war, US conducted strikes on military and nuclear sites across Iran in June last year.
Iran has denied seeking nuclear weapons but insists on its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Iranian officials have participated in indirect talks with US representatives, including envoys who described progress on broad principles for a deal, though key disagreements remain.
A report by The New York Times, citing US officials, stated that the American military buildup in West Asia includes dozens of aerial refueling tankers deployed by United States Central Command, more than 50 additional fighter aircraft, and two aircraft carrier strike groups along with their accompanying destroyers, cruisers, and submarines.
According to the report, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford was nearing Gibraltar on Wednesday as it headed to join the USS Abraham Lincoln in the region.
Over the past month, the US has also reinforced its presence in West Asia with advanced air defence systems, including Patriot missile defence batteries and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) systems, which are capable of intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles.
