During the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace, Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran. He emphasized that if Tehran fails to reach a “meaningful” agreement within the next “10 days,” bad things will happen. He also hinted at several military options he is considering to launch another strike in the region.
His comments came amid an intensified U.S. force buildup in the Middle East. According to The New York Times, several of Trump’s plans for strikes on Iran have been leaked. On Wednesday, the president discussed the options with JD Vance in the White House Situation Room.
According to The Times, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were also present at the high-level meeting.
🇺🇸🇮🇷JUST IN: Ex-CIA officer claims Trump has decided to attack Iran on Monday or Tuesday.
John Kiriakou said pro-war people are led by State Sec. Marco Rubio, War Sec. Pete Hegseth and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. pic.twitter.com/JiuxiDrHIa
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According to sources, no final decisions have been reached. However, Donald Trump has weighed launching an initial strike soon. The New York Times reported that the U.S. administration might target the headquarters of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ballistic missile program or nuclear sites in the region.
The New York Times further reported that Trump told his advisers that if Iran fails to reach a nuclear deal, stronger action would be taken. According to the outlet, the president might be open to launching a larger military strike later this year aimed at ending the rule of Ali Khamenei.
The Times added that both U.S. and Iranian officials were considering a possible off-ramp introduced by Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. If such an agreement is reached, instead of Washington’s current demands to completely dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, the country would be allowed to produce limited amounts of nuclear fuel. However, that production would be restricted to medical research and treatment purposes.
🇺🇸 US President Donald Trump:
“We may have to take (#Iran) a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re gonna make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.” pic.twitter.com/O5FNJPdi93
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Insiders told the Times that Donald Trump asked Ratcliffe and Caine to discuss a broader strategy for Iran. However, both officials kept silent about it and got criticized by JD Vance for the same. The Vice President, although he did not oppose the POTUS’ plan for a bigger strike in Iran, asked Caine and Ratcliffe to weigh in on the risks and complexity of a possible attack on the regime.
Despite the buzz, the White House has not officially disclosed any plans for Iran. “The media may continue to speculate on the president’s thinking all they want, but only President Trump knows what he may or may not do,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly previously told The New York Times.
The President has repeatedly threatened Iran in recent months. Last week, he told reporters, “We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
