WASHINGTON/DUBAI: U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 19 that the United States might need to carry out another strike on Iran.
He said he had been just an hour away from ordering an attack, but decided to delay it.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, a day after saying he had paused plans to restart fighting, Trump said he was very close to making the decision. He added that Iran’s leaders are now pushing for a deal, but warned that if no agreement is reached soon, the U.S. could launch a limited attack within days, possibly by the weekend or early next week. He said such action would be necessary to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
In Tehran, Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said the delay showed that Trump understood any attack on Iran would prompt a strong, decisive military response.
Iranian state media said Tehran’s latest peace proposal includes ending fighting across all fronts, including in Lebanon, removing U.S. forces from areas near Iran, and paying compensation for damage caused by U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iran is also asking for sanctions to be lifted, frozen funds to be released, and the U.S. naval blockade to end, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
However, the proposal appears largely similar to an earlier one that Trump rejected last week as unacceptable. It is also unclear whether the U.S. has actually made military preparations for new strikes.
Trump is facing pressure to reach a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and trade. He has previously said he hopes to end the conflict through an agreement, but has also repeatedly warned of heavy military action if talks fail. On May 19, he said there is still a good chance of reaching a deal and that he would prefer avoiding bombing if possible.
A Pakistani source said that Islamabad has been passing messages between the two sides and confirmed that Iran’s proposal had been shared with Washington. The source added that both sides keep changing their demands and that time is running short.
The conflict has already caused major destruction. U.S.-Israeli attacks killed thousands of people in Iran before a ceasefire in early April. Israel has also killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands in Lebanon during its campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Iran and its allies have carried out strikes on Israel and nearby Arab countries, killing dozens. Although the ceasefire with Iran has mostly held, tensions remain high, with recent drone attacks launched from Iraq toward Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, likely by Iran or its allies.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have said the war aims to weaken Iran’s regional influence, end its nuclear program, destroy its missile capabilities, and create conditions for political change inside Iran.
However, the conflict has not yet eliminated Iran’s stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium or its ability to threaten other countries using missiles, drones, and allied militias.
Despite protests inside Iran earlier this year, the country’s leadership has remained in control during the conflict.
Trump spoke shortly after his administration announced new sanctions targeting an Iranian foreign exchange company and related firms accused of handling transactions for Iranian banks.
