In the past 24 hours, the Trump administration has significantly stepped up its efforts to persuade Iran to return to the negotiating table. The president repeatedly has emphasized that it is not too late for Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program—which he has presented as a “last chance” - and if achieved, it would bring an end to the military campaign and restore stability to the region.
According to reports, Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is engaging in talks with Iran—both directly and through intermediaries—in an attempt to arrange a meeting between the sides later this week. American officials have confirmed that the Iranians have expressed willingness to hold talks and have even approached regional actors asking them to mediate between Iran and the US administration. However, it is unclear whether Israel’s successes on the ground have actually caused Iran to change its stance on uranium enrichment. In his statements, Trump continues to insist that he can secure a deal. He even signed the declaration issued by the G7 leaders at the end of their summit in Canada, in which they condemned Iran, called for de-escalation in the region, and advocated for a comprehensive solution - including a ceasefire in Gaza.
Simultaneously, the US administration is escalating its threats toward Iran, in anticipation of the possibility that the “final effort” to reach an agreement may fail. Trump even cut short his participation in the summit and returned to Washington, while repeatedly tweeting that it’s still not too late to reach an agreement, and even called on the residents of Tehran to leave the city. In an attempt to rally American public support behind a military move, Trump sent a message to his MAGA movement colleagues, led by broadcaster Tucker Carlson- one of the most prominent opponents of military involvement - asserting that there is no contradiction between the movement’s principles and the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Additionally, it was reported that the Pentagon is working on attack plans and that the United States is reinforcing its forces in the Middle East, including the deployment of refueling aircraft and the arrival of a second aircraft carrier to the region.
Despite reports of a possible meeting between Witkoff and the Iranian foreign minister, it’s unclear whether the administration is conditioning the meeting on a prior positive response from Iran to the American proposal - which was meant to be discussed at a meeting scheduled for last Sunday but was canceled due to the start of the Israeli campaign - or whether the meeting is intended to formally initiate negotiations. It appears that the administration seeks to leverage Israel’s achievements on the ground to exert additional pressure on Iran to agree to the proposed outline - the full details of which haven’t yet been released.
From all available information, it’s not clear whether President Trump has already made the decision to order a strike on Iran. Publicly, the administration’s spokespeople still refer mainly to the defensive role of US forces. However, the impression is growing that if the president concludes that he has failed to force Tehran into an agreement imposing strict limitations on its enrichment capabilities, he will order an expansion of US military involvement. This is especially likely given that American military capabilities play a critical - and perhaps exclusive - role in significantly damaging Iran’s nuclear program over time, particularly at the Fordow enrichment site. Such a move would align with his assertion that it is in America’s interest to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
In the past 24 hours, the Trump administration has significantly stepped up its efforts to persuade Iran to return to the negotiating table. The president repeatedly has emphasized that it is not too late for Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program—which he has presented as a “last chance” - and if achieved, it would bring an end to the military campaign and restore stability to the region.
According to reports, Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is engaging in talks with Iran—both directly and through intermediaries—in an attempt to arrange a meeting between the sides later this week. American officials have confirmed that the Iranians have expressed willingness to hold talks and have even approached regional actors asking them to mediate between Iran and the US administration. However, it is unclear whether Israel’s successes on the ground have actually caused Iran to change its stance on uranium enrichment. In his statements, Trump continues to insist that he can secure a deal. He even signed the declaration issued by the G7 leaders at the end of their summit in Canada, in which they condemned Iran, called for de-escalation in the region, and advocated for a comprehensive solution - including a ceasefire in Gaza.
Simultaneously, the US administration is escalating its threats toward Iran, in anticipation of the possibility that the “final effort” to reach an agreement may fail. Trump even cut short his participation in the summit and returned to Washington, while repeatedly tweeting that it’s still not too late to reach an agreement, and even called on the residents of Tehran to leave the city. In an attempt to rally American public support behind a military move, Trump sent a message to his MAGA movement colleagues, led by broadcaster Tucker Carlson- one of the most prominent opponents of military involvement - asserting that there is no contradiction between the movement’s principles and the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Additionally, it was reported that the Pentagon is working on attack plans and that the United States is reinforcing its forces in the Middle East, including the deployment of refueling aircraft and the arrival of a second aircraft carrier to the region.
Despite reports of a possible meeting between Witkoff and the Iranian foreign minister, it’s unclear whether the administration is conditioning the meeting on a prior positive response from Iran to the American proposal - which was meant to be discussed at a meeting scheduled for last Sunday but was canceled due to the start of the Israeli campaign - or whether the meeting is intended to formally initiate negotiations. It appears that the administration seeks to leverage Israel’s achievements on the ground to exert additional pressure on Iran to agree to the proposed outline - the full details of which haven’t yet been released.
From all available information, it’s not clear whether President Trump has already made the decision to order a strike on Iran. Publicly, the administration’s spokespeople still refer mainly to the defensive role of US forces. However, the impression is growing that if the president concludes that he has failed to force Tehran into an agreement imposing strict limitations on its enrichment capabilities, he will order an expansion of US military involvement. This is especially likely given that American military capabilities play a critical - and perhaps exclusive - role in significantly damaging Iran’s nuclear program over time, particularly at the Fordow enrichment site. Such a move would align with his assertion that it is in America’s interest to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.