U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that diplomatic negotiations with Iran are ongoing, during a statement to reporters at the White House. Trump said he has not decided to launch a large-scale military attack.
"No, I haven't," Trump said, answering a question on whether he would launch a new wave of large-scale attacks. He described diplomacy and military preparedness as complementary elements of Washington's strategy.
Balancing military pressure and diplomacy
Noting that talks with Iranian officials are continuing, Trump said, "We are talking to them right now. I think as the pressure increases, they become more serious." The U.S. president suggested that military pressure has increased Iran's willingness to engage diplomatically.
Trump stressed that Washington is ready to escalate militarily if negotiations fail, but that diplomacy should be given time before a final decision. "We are locked, loaded and ready to go. But we are talking to them, and we will see what comes out of it," he said.
The nuclear red line
Avoiding defining a specific threshold that would trigger a wider conflict, Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons remains Washington's top priority. He made clear that any sign Iran is approaching a nuclear weapons capability would be the administration's main red line.
White House evaluates military options
Trump's remarks came after reports that the White House was considering a broader military operation. According to AFP, the New York Times reported that Trump discussed expanded operation options with senior advisers on Friday. Axios earlier wrote that the president was weighing a possible "major attack" on Iran. Despite these reports, Trump stressed that no final decision has been reached.
According to an AFP note, as the conflict enters its fifth month, Trump initially predicted it would last only a few weeks. The prolonged conflict has led to a focus on the administration's effort to balance military pressure with diplomatic engagement and on growing domestic political scrutiny.
Received assurances from Putin and Xi
Trump also referred to his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Stating that both leaders assured him they would not supply weapons to Iran, Trump said, "President Xi said he would not get involved, and President Putin said the same thing. I trust them. I think they would not want to disappoint me."
Trump previously warned Moscow and Beijing not to supply weapons to Iran in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying, "If they do, it would be very bad for them, definitely not in their interests." The president said that Xi committed during a meeting in Beijing in May that China would not give weapons to Iran under any circumstances, and that Putin made a similar commitment despite the war in Ukraine.
Dual-track strategy
Trump's latest foreign policy remarks came during a speech at the postponed annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association. According to the AP, the event was postponed due to the armed attack in April. Trump's comments showed that diplomacy remains active while military planning continues in the background.
The overall picture reflects the administration's intention to keep a much stronger military option on the table, to be used if diplomacy fails, while continuing negotiations with Tehran. For now, Trump signaled that he sees benefit in giving negotiations time, while also sending the message that the threat of expanded military action continues to shape Washington's strategy toward Tehran.
