Trump issues major ultimatum to Iran and sets a new deadline

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would make the decision whether to attack Iran in the next two weeks as negotiations continue over the nation’s nuclear enrichment program.

The announcement came as Israel was engaged in a military campaign to strike at the nation’s nuclear facilities.

‘There’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.’

Trump has repeatedly pronounced his goal to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and he excoriated former President Joe Biden’s efforts to pay billions to Iran in the endeavor.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read a statement from the president at Thursday’s media briefing.

“Regarding the ongoing situation in Iran, I know there has been a lot of speculation amongst all of you in the media regarding the president’s decision-making and whether or not the United States will be directly involved,” Leavitt said.

“In light of that news, I have a message directly from the president,” she added, reading the message.

“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,” read the message from the president.

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Photo by Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The announcement might have been intended to quell fears after a Wall Street Journal report said Wednesday that the president had approved an attack on Iran but that he was waiting for the final order to allow for negotiations.

“I have ideas on what to do, but I haven’t made a final — I like to make the final decision one second before it’s due,” said Trump to reporters Wednesday.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been making overt threats against the U.S. and warning that Americans would regret the decision to enter into a war with Iran.

“The US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter,” wrote Khamenei on social media Wednesday.

“It was already suspected that the US was involved in the malicious move carried out by the Zionist regime, but considering their recent remarks, this suspicion is growing stronger day by day,” he continued in a second post.

Israel’s war on Iran has entered into its seventh day. Operation Rising Lion has led Iran to issue retaliatory missile strikes on Israel.

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