WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump said limited U.S. military strikes against Iran continue to be a possibility, even as Tehran signaled it plans to present a draft nuclear agreement to the U.S. within days.
Trump told reporters on Friday morning he was considering strikes to pressure Iran into a deal.
“I guess I can say I am considering that,” he said during his working breakfast with governors at the White House, later adding that Iran “better negotiate a fair deal.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran plans to finalize the draft agreement during “the next two to three days” and submit it to Washington.
“I don’t think it takes long,” Araghchi said on MSNOW’s “Morning Joe” show on Friday. “Perhaps within a week or so, we can begin real, serious negotiations on the text and come to a conclusion.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaks during a bilateral meeting between Switzerland and Iran, in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)
Sources told CNN on Wednesday that the U.S. military is prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend, but Trump has not made a final decision on whether he’ll authorize such actions.
Tommy Pigott, who is the principal deputy spokesperson at the State Department, said Trump wants to make sure that the destabilizing actions of the Iranian regime come to an end.
“That’s a direct threat to U.S. troops in the region, U.S. allies in the region, (and) the American people. The president is advancing our national interest,” Pigott said during a one-on-one interview with The National News Desk’s Kayla Gaskins.
“And the force posture that we see in the region is actually reflective of those interests that we have in the region, including those U.S. troops, including our allies in the region. The president is a dealmaker. He’s a peacemaker. He wants to see a deal happen,” Pigott added.
Pigott also said Trump, who has given Iran what he calls a final 10-to-15-day window to agree to a new nuclear deal, wanted make clear that the time for negotiations is limited.
“You have a regime in Iran that instead of funding water, food, energy, and infrastructure, has wasted their vast wealth on these terrorist proxies, on a nuclear weapons program, on a ballistic missile program,” Pigott said.
“The president is defending our national interests. That is the primary goal of this president — always to put America first. He’s a peacemaker, he’s a deal maker, and he’s a defender of America’s national interests,” Pigott added. “You cannot have peace in the Middle East if Iran has a nuclear weapon.”
Trump warned that if Tehran refuses to make a fair deal, “bad things” will happen.
“We’re either going to get a deal or it’s going to be unfortunate for them,” Trump said. “Deadline firm to make a deal. I would think that would be enough time, 10-15 days, pretty much maximum.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
