Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated sharply as U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning on Wednesday, suggesting military action remains an option if Tehran does not agree to end its nuclear program. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump asserted that Israel would play a crucial role in any potential military response.
“If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump declared, adding, “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that.” He revealed that a specific deadline has been set for Iran to comply, though he did not disclose the exact timeline. Previous reports suggest Trump gave Iran a two-month window starting from a March letter addressed to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This warning precedes scheduled U.S.-Iran talks set to take place in Oman on Saturday. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff will lead the American delegation, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to represent Tehran. While Iran has rejected direct negotiations under what it describes as Trump’s “maximum pressure” strategy, it has remained open to indirect dialogue mediated by Omani officials.
The U.S. has bolstered its military presence in the region ahead of the talks, deploying a second aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, alongside the USS Harry S. Truman strike group. B-2 stealth bombers have also been stationed at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, armed with “bunker buster” bombs capable of targeting fortified underground nuclear facilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Trump earlier this week, has supported a “Libyan-style” disarmament, referencing Libya’s 2003 dismantling of its weapons programs as a model for Iran.
However, Iran remains defiant. In an op-ed published Tuesday in the Washington Post, Foreign Minister Araghchi emphasized that any progress must exclude military threats. “The proud Iranian nation … will never accept coercion and imposition,” he wrote.
As the Oman talks approach, the international community watches closely, hoping diplomacy can prevail over the looming threat of conflict in an already volatile Middle East.
