Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace summit Thursday, President Donald Trump said that a nuclear deal with Iran was imminent — or not.
“We may have to take it a step further, or we may not,” Trump said. “Maybe we’re gonna make a deal. You’re gonna be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
Despite what he described as productive talks, the president emphasized the difficulty of reaching a deal with Iran and warned of tough consequences for the authoritarian regime if it failed to come through.
It’s “not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran,” he said. “We have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen.”
He also said that the heavy strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June, deploying the unique B-52 bombers, helped bring about the October ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
Meanwhile, the United States has heavily increased its military presence in the region, sending the naval aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East, with a second carrier strike group now on the way led by the USS Gerald R. Ford. The U.S. has also sent scores of F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, in reportedly the greatest show of air power since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Iran’s foreign ministry touted the talks as a success in an X post that published remarks by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“Compared to the previous round, this session involved fully serious discussions and was conducted in a more constructive atmosphere,” Araghchi was reported as saying.
“Various ideas were put forward and thoroughly examined,” he continued. “Ultimately, we were able to reach a general understanding on a set of guiding principles that will serve as the basis for moving forward and entering into the drafting of a potential agreement.”
Araghchi warned that the process will take time.
“This does not mean that we can reach an agreement quickly, but at least the process has begun,” he said. “We hope to conclude it as soon as possible and are prepared to devote sufficient time to it. However, when it comes to drafting the text, the work becomes more detailed and complex.”
Nevertheless, he expressed optimism about the path forward.
“Good progress was made compared to the previous meeting, and we now have a clearer and, in my view, positive path ahead,” he said.
Some observers have noted that Iran is using the negotiations as a delaying tactic to ward off a military strike, but ultimately, the gap between the two sides is too wide to bridge, and a military strike appears increasingly likely.
Trump spoke at a press conference later in the day in Georgia and, when asked, did not define what he meant by “bad things” will happen to Iran.
Instead, he delivered an ultimatum. “We’re going to make a deal or get a deal one way or the other,” he said. “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum.”
Stay informed with the latest Jewish news, real-time Jewish breaking news, and in-depth Israel news coverage from our newsroom. For continuing updates, expert perspectives, and trusted reporting, visit our main news hub here.
Israel and the Middle East –
Jewish Politics –
Jewish Culture and Lifestyle –
Videos –
Jewish World
Source link
