Dubai, UAE — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Washington may launch fresh strikes on Iran within days if negotiations fail, while claiming Tehran was seeking a deal to avoid further escalation in a conflict that has spread across the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had been “an hour away” from authorizing a new military strike before postponing the decision.
“Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week,” Trump said, adding the United States could not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Trump also said Iranian leaders were “begging” for a deal and claimed Chinese President Xi Jinping had assured him Beijing would not send weapons or military equipment to Iran.
The remarks came as Gulf states, European governments and mediators intensified diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider regional war after months of fighting involving the United States, Israel and Iran-backed groups.
Iran Signals Openness to Negotiations
Iran said proposals presented to Washington included sanctions relief, the release of frozen funds, reparations for war damage and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.
Qatar said negotiations between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Pakistan, required more time to reach an agreement.
“We are supportive of the diplomatic effort by Pakistan,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said, adding that both sides appeared serious about pursuing a solution.
Trump struck a somewhat softer tone earlier this week, describing talks with Tehran as “very positive” and saying he had delayed planned military action at the request of Gulf allies.
Still, Iran’s army warned it would “open new fronts” against the United States if attacks resumed.
“If the enemy is foolish enough to launch new aggression against our beloved Iran, we will open new fronts against it,” army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said, according to Iranian media.
School Strike Draws Scrutiny
The conflict’s humanitarian toll remained under focus after U.S. officials again stopped short of taking responsibility for a strike on a school in the Iranian city of Minab that Iranian state media said killed 155 people on the first day of the war.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of United States Central Command, told a congressional panel the incident remained under investigation and described the site as being located on an active base used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The New York Times and CNN previously reported the school was struck by a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile.
The war, which began in late February, has killed thousands across Iran, Lebanon and other parts of the region, according to regional authorities and humanitarian organizations.
Regional Tensions Spread Beyond Iran
The United Arab Emirates said drones targeting the Barakah nuclear plant last week originated from Iraqi territory, where Iran-backed militias have launched several attacks since the conflict began.
Meanwhile, the finance ministers of the Group of Seven nations called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route disrupted by the conflict.
European officials also prepared emergency support measures for farmers facing surging fertilizer prices linked to supply disruptions through the waterway.
In Gaza, Israeli forces intercepted another flotilla vessel attempting to challenge the blockade of the territory, while Israel’s military issued fresh evacuation warnings for parts of southern Lebanon.
Israel Faces International Legal Pressure
The United Nations said it was reviewing legal options after Israel approved plans to build a military complex on the former East Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Separately, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he had been informed the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court sought a confidential arrest warrant against him, though the court declined to comment.
Smotrich said he would retaliate against the Palestinian Authority by expanding measures in the occupied West Bank, including ordering the evacuation of the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar.
