Israel–Iran conflict: Trump to make Iran war decision in 'next two weeks'

Washington: US President Donald Trump said Thursday he will decide within the next two weeks whether the US will join Israel’s strikes on Iran, adding that there is still a “substantial” chance for negotiations to end the conflict.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a message from Trump, saying there had been “a lot of speculation” about whether the United States would be “directly involved” in the escalating conflict.

“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,” Trump said in the statement.

The announcement may lower tensions and open space for diplomacy after Trump earlier escalated rhetoric by calling Iran’s leader an “easy target” and vowing that Tehran would never possess a nuclear weapon.

However, Leavitt warned that Iran could be just “a couple of weeks” away from producing a nuclear weapon.

“Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon,” she said.

Trump claimed Wednesday that Iran had requested to send officials to the White House to negotiate a deal on its nuclear program and end hostilities with Israel. Iran, however, denied making any such overture.

Leavitt declined to provide further details on what prompted Trump to believe negotiations were possible but rejected suggestions that the president was stalling.

“If there’s a chance for diplomacy, the president’s always going to grab it—but he’s not afraid to use strength as well,” she said.

She also confirmed that “correspondence has continued” between Washington and Tehran, responding to reports that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had been in contact with Iran’s foreign minister.

Trump held his third consecutive day of Situation Room meetings on Thursday, continuing deliberations over whether to support Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign.

“I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked directly about launching military action against Iran.

While Trump previously pursued diplomacy and sought to renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal—one he withdrew from in 2018—he has more recently backed Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites. A key consideration is that only the US possesses the “bunker buster” bombs capable of targeting Iran’s fortified Fordo nuclear facility.

Despite Trump’s tough stance, some prominent voices within his "Make America Great Again" base—including Tucker Carlson and former White House aide Steve Bannon—have publicly opposed any US military strikes on Iran.

Trump’s anti-war message played a significant role in both his 2016 and 2024 election campaigns, with promises to end America’s “forever wars” in the Middle East.

Leavitt concluded: “Trust in President Trump. President Trump has incredible instincts.”