U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he is considering a limited military strike on Iran, but he did not provide further details about what such an action might entail.
Speaking to reporters at the White House when asked whether he was contemplating a limited strike intended to press Iran into a deal on its nuclear program, the president replied: "I guess I can say I am considering" it. No additional operational details, timing, or target information were offered during the exchange.
The remarks arrive as the United States continues to press Iran diplomatically while expanding its military presence around the country. The president stated he expects to see the outcome of the current negotiations within roughly two weeks, a timetable he presented during the same interaction with reporters.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly told Iran that it must "make a deal" on its nuclear program, reiterating the administration's demand for an agreement. Beyond his repeated exhortation and the quoted acknowledgement that a limited strike is under consideration, the administration has not elaborated publicly on the nature or scope of any potential military action.
Key elements remain unspecified in the president's remarks: whether any strikes would be executed, what form they might take, who would be authorized to carry them out, and how they would connect to ongoing negotiations that the president said should reach an outcome in about two weeks. The administration's simultaneous reliance on diplomatic negotiations and an increased military posture was a central feature of the comments he made to the press.
The limited information disclosed Friday leaves open the timing and objectives of any contemplated military steps and provides little clarity about how the stated expectation for a negotiations outcome will be reconciled with preparations described as increased military presence in the region.
Summary
President Trump said he is considering a limited strike on Iran, supplied no further details, noted an expanded U.S. military presence around Iran, and said he expects a negotiation outcome in roughly two weeks. He has repeatedly urged Iran to make a deal on its nuclear program.