Trump Warns Iran Strike Is ‘Days Away’ If Nuclear Deal Fails: ‘Won’t Let Them Blow Up the World’

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended the ongoing conflict with Iran, asserting that the military campaign up to this point has been “very popular,” brushing off pushback from his political opponents.

Speaking with journalists at the White House, Trump's remarks came just a day after he put a scheduled airstrike against Iran on hold. The President emphasized that the United States cannot permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, arguing that the country's “extremely radicalised" leadership would inevitably deploy them.

“Whether it’s popular or not, I have to do it because I'm not going to let the world be blown up on my watch. It's not going to happen," Trump stated.

Is Another Military Strike Imminent?

Trump hinted that a fresh American military strike against Iran remains on the table, revealing that he came within 60 minutes of greenlighting an attack before choosing to delay it.

“I was an hour away from making the decision to go today,” Trump informed reporters. This followed his announcement on Monday that he had ordered the military to stand down from an attack planned for Tuesday. The pause reportedly occurred after Tehran submitted a fresh peace proposal to Washington.

In a post on Truth Social, the President claimed that the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates had pressed him to hold off on the strike to give a potential diplomatic deal a chance. However, officials from those Gulf nations subsequently denied any knowledge of the planned military operation.

Trump accompanied his diplomatic opening with a stark warning, stating that American forces must remain “prepared to go forward with a full, large-scale assault” if the current talks with Iran fall through. Maintaining that Iranian leaders are desperate to finalize an agreement, Trump suggested that a renewed US offensive could launch within days if negotiations collapse.

“Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon,” he remarked.

The US Strategy to Exit the Conflict

Geopolitical analysts suggest that Trump is searching for a diplomatic off-ramp to wind down the hostiles, aiming for a negotiated settlement that allows him to declare "victory" over Iran while safeguarding his political standing. The military conflict erupted on February 28, 2026, sparked by joint US-Israeli airstrikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Despite the heavy offensive, Washington's primary goal, stopping Iran from achieving nuclear weapons capabilities, remains unfulfilled.

Though active airstrikes have largely paused since a ceasefire took effect in early April, maritime traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted. This ongoing shipping crisis stems from Iranian restrictions on the waterway alongside a continuous US naval blockade.

Facing mounting domestic and international pressure to broker a deal that would reopen the critical trade route, Trump has balanced public optimism about an imminent agreement with explicit threats of heavier bombardment if Tehran refuses to comply.

According to Iranian state media, Tehran's newest peace framework demands an end to hostilities across all regional fronts, including Lebanon, the complete withdrawal of US military forces from areas near Iranian territory, and financial reparations for damages inflicted during the US-Israeli military campaign.

However, regional experts caution that Iran's conditions may prove far too demanding for Washington to accept. With both sides at a deadlock, the risk remains high that open hostilities between the longtime adversaries could ignite once again in the coming days.

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