Trump on potential of strikes on Iran: 'I may do it, I may not do it'
4 Min Read
Despite his hardline stance, when pressed on whether it was too late for negotiations, Trump replies, “Nothing is too late."
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US President Donald Trump speaks as a flag pole is installed on the South Lawn of the White House on June 18, 2025, in Washington (AP)
US President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that the United States might join Israeli airstrikes on Iran, though he remained noncommittal, saying, “I may do it, I may not do it.”
Speaking from the South Lawn of the White House, where he was observing the installation of a new flagpole, Trump said his patience with Tehran had “already run out” and reiterated his demand for Iran’s “unconditional surrender".
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva warned on Wednesday that Tehran would respond firmly to any direct US involvement in the Israeli occupation’s war on Iran.
Trump revealed that Iran had recently reached out to begin negotiations, even proposing to send officials to the White House to discuss its nuclear program.
"They’ve suggested that they come to the White House,” he claimed.
However, he cast doubt on the timing, calling it “very late” to begin talks, though he didn’t rule out the possibility of a meeting.
“There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” Trump said, acknowledging Iran’s willingness to negotiate as a bold move but noting the difficulty such outreach poses for the Iranian government.
When asked to clarify his call for Iran's “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” in a social media post, President Trump emphasized that his patience had worn thin.
"It's very simple -- unconditional surrender. That means I've had it, okay? I've had it. I give up, no more, we go and blow up all the nuclear stuff that's all over the place," he said.
Trump likened Iran to “schoolyard bullies", claiming they no longer held that power but hinted the situation could still evolve. Despite his hardline stance, when pressed on whether it was too late for negotiations, he replied, “Nothing is too late."
On his part, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to say publicly whether he has presented President Trump with military options for striking Iran, but assured lawmakers that the US military is fully prepared to act if ordered.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Hegseth stated, "If and when those decisions are made, the Department (of Defense) is prepared to execute them," emphasizing the military's readiness to carry out any decisions the president makes regarding war or peace.
Trump risks opening 'Pandora's Box' with Iran, analyst warns
Meanwhile, Ellie Geranmayeh, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, speaking to CNN, warned that US President Donald Trump is at a pivotal crossroads, facing a choice between a diplomatic off-ramp or launching what could become a war of choice.
“Leaders always have a choice in these moments,” she noted. “Trump has, in the past, stepped back from the brink of war with Iran, he has the ability to do so again.”
Geranmayeh warned that if Trump orders a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Tehran would treat it as a "declaration of war."
“Once you open up this Pandora’s box, we have no idea where things go,” she cautioned, adding that it would “most likely consume the rest of President Trump’s presidency.”
Trump has openly rejected a key intelligence assessment on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, instead aligning himself more closely with the Israeli occupation's aggressive stance.
The assessment, delivered in March by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, stated that Iran is not currently developing a nuclear weapon and that Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei has not reauthorized any weapons program since suspending it in 2003.
“The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,” Gabbard said during her March testimony. “Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.”
However, when pressed how close he believed Iran had been to obtaining a nuclear weapon, during an exchange with a CNN reporter on Tuesday, in light of Gabbard's testimony earlier this year, Trump dismissed those findings outright. “I don’t care what she said,” he replied. “I think they were very close to having one.”
