US President Donald Trump alleged Thursday that he will make a final decision on whether to launch military action against Iran within the next two weeks, citing what he called a “substantial chance” of possible diplomatic engagement.

The announcement, delivered by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during the daily briefing, comes as Israeli aggression against Iran enters its seventh consecutive day, fueling speculation over the extent of Washington’s military involvement.

“Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Trump said in the statement read by Leavitt.

.@PressSec shares a message from President Trump: "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks." pic.twitter.com/r3yVnbZHAC

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 19, 2025

Leavitt declined to provide specifics on what prompted Trump’s cautious optimism toward diplomacy and offered no details regarding any concrete plans for talks with Tehran.

This development comes shortly after The Times of Israel cited an Israeli official as saying, “Israel still expects that US President Donald Trump will join the strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.” The official clarified, “The expectation is that they join, but no one is pushing them,” adding, “They have to make their own decision.” When asked for a timeline, the official claimed, “We’ll know in the next 24–48 hours.”

Not an isolated incident: US issues vague, controversial remarks

On Wednesday, Trump claimed that Iran had initiated communication with the US about potentially sending envoys to Washington for negotiations over its nuclear program and to end the war, a claim that Iranian officials strongly rejected.

When asked whether diplomatic outreach was ongoing, Leavitt replied, “Correspondence has continued” between Washington and Tehran. However, she added that she was “not tracking” whether Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, would attend any meetings in Geneva for potential direct dialogue with Iranian officials.

The White House confirmed that Trump convened his third Situation Room meeting in as many days on Thursday to continue deliberations over the possibility of a direct US war against Iran.

Earlier this week, the president struck a more ambiguous tone when asked directly about potential strikes on Iran. “I may do it, I may not do it,” Trump said on Wednesday, which many observers view as a strategic move aimed at deceiving Iran, framing the prospect of negotiations as a smokescreen for escalating military preparations.

Iran denies media reports on delegation landing in Oman for talks

Iran’s Foreign Ministry categorically denied on Thursday a Reuters report that claimed that an Iranian negotiating delegation had arrived in the Sultanate of Oman amid ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions with the United States and "Israel".

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei refuted the report, stating clearly that “no Iranian delegation has gone to Oman.” His comments were echoed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who also dismissed the claim, telling Iranian media, “No one has gone to Oman.”

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Reuters had earlier reported that an Iranian negotiation team had landed in Muscat as part of renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at containing the growing regional situation. The report suggested the move was part of indirect backchannel discussions involving Western and regional intermediaries.

Iran fires back at Trump's 'lies': Never 'asked to grovel at WH gates'

In a related context, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations issued a scathing rebuke to US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, rejecting his latest remarks about Tehran’s willingness to negotiate and condemning his threats as provocative and unfounded.

The response followed Trump’s claim that “Iran wants to negotiate” and had allegedly suggested coming to the White House.

"They’ve suggested that they come to the White House,” he claimed.

No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House. The only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to “take out” Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress, and certainly NOT…

— I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) June 18, 2025

Trump also boasted that “nobody knows what I’m going to do” and floated the notion of “unconditional surrender” from Iran.

Iran’s mission dismissed the comments as political theater, stating unequivocally, “No Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House.” The statement directly challenged Trump’s narrative, portraying it as a fabrication intended to serve domestic political goals.

The mission further condemned Trump’s past threats, including what it described as a “cowardly” call to “take out” Iran’s Leader, labeling the US president a “has-been warmonger clinging to relevance.”

Reiterating Iran’s long-standing position, the mission stated, “Iran does NOT negotiate under duress, shall NOT accept peace under duress,” emphasizing that the Islamic Republic will meet any threat with a counter-threat and any hostile action with reciprocal measures.

Trump’s narrative clashes with reality

US President Donald Trump has reignited tensions with Iran through a series of provocative remarks, claiming that Tehran “wants to negotiate,” is “in a lot of trouble,” and is “totally defenseless". His comments, however, stand in stark contrast to recent developments on the ground and the broader context of US-Iran diplomacy.

Speaking at a campaign event this week, Trump alleged that Iran had reached a desperate point, saying, “They should have negotiated. Nothing is too late. Unconditional surrender means I’ve had it.” He also claimed Iran lacks effective air defenses, describing the country as “totally defenseless, with no air defense whatsoever.”

These assertions come despite the fact that Iran’s air defense systems have reportedly demonstrated significant capability in recent days. According to Iranian sources, Iranian forces successfully downed four Israeli F-35 fighter jets, intercepted multiple missile attacks, and shot down a US MQ-9 drone operating in the region.

Trump’s remarks also overlooked the status of diplomatic engagement. Prior to the current escalation, the US and Iran had completed five rounds of indirect nuclear negotiations, with a sixth round scheduled. However, that process was abruptly halted following an Israeli attack on Iranian territory, an aggression that came just two days before the sixth round of talks was due to begin.

"Israel" has justified its strikes by citing alleged Iranian nuclear ambitions, even as it continues to maintain its own undeclared and unmonitored nuclear arsenal, a point of international criticism and regional tension, not to mention its genocide in Gaza and ongoing attacks on Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria.

Trump’s framing of Iran as both eager to negotiate and militarily weak has drawn scrutiny from analysts, who point to the timing of Israeli strikes as a significant factor in disrupting talks and escalating war.

While Trump boasted that “nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Iran’s leadership and military posture suggest it is far from capitulating. Tehran has repeatedly stated it will not accept negotiations under duress, and Iranian officials have vowed to respond to any threat with proportional force.

As the rhetoric sharpens and the regional crisis deepens, diplomatic prospects continue to dim, complicated by US domestic politics and ongoing Israeli aggression.

Read more: Sayyed Khamenei warns of dire consequences if US joins war on Iran