Today's Edition
(The New York Times)
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will decide whether the United States will attack Iran "within the next two weeks,” adding in a statement released by the White House that "there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.”
For days, Trump had mused publicly about the possibility of ordering US forces to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, suggesting that strikes could be imminent, while also insisting that it was not too late for talks. With his comments Thursday, he appeared to opt for some breathing room to consider options that carry a lower risk of escalation.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, said Steve Witkoff, the president’s special envoy to the Middle East, has maintained correspondence with Iranian officials. She declined to provide any further details. Iran pulled out of talks with US officials about a nuclear deal after Israel began its attacks last Friday.
Leavitt said any nuclear deal with Iran would have to include a ban on enriching uranium and block Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
