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Rabat – US President Donald Trump has given Iran what amounts to a two-week ultimatum to reach a “meaningful” nuclear agreement with the US or face consequences he described as “really bad things.”
The warning, delivered during the first session of his newly formed Board of Peace in Washington, marked one of Trump’s starkest deadlines yet in a long and volatile standoff with Tehran.
He later told reporters aboard Air Force One that Iran would have “10, 15 days, pretty much maximum” to produce results.
Trump did not spell out what action he might take, but the signals are clear. US aircraft carriers, warships and fighter jets now crowd key positions across the Middle East, part of a military deployment that senior officials say will reach full strength by mid-March.
“We may have to take it a step further or we may not,” Trump said, referring to US strikes last June on Iranian nuclear and military facilities. He argued that those attacks severely damaged Iran’s nuclear capacity.
Tehran draws a red line
Iran responded in a formal letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Tehran said it does not seek war. But it warned that if the US launches military action, Iran would answer “decisively and proportionately.”
American bases and assets across the region, the letter stated, would count as legitimate targets. The US, it added, would bear responsibility for any fallout.
The exchange has pushed an already fragile geopolitical situation closer to the edge. Oil prices rose on fears that conflict could disrupt shipping lanes near the Gulf of Oman, a crucial artery for global energy supplies.
Talks continue, but trust remains thin
Despite the rhetoric, diplomatic channels remain open. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said this week that recent discussions with US officials produced agreement on broad “guiding principles.”
The White House offered a more cautious view and said major differences persist.
Trump insisted that “good talks” have taken place and said Iran plans to submit a written proposal that addresses US concerns.
At the core of the dispute lies uranium enrichment. Washington demands that Iran halt enrichment entirely. The process fuels civilian nuclear reactors but can also produce material suitable for weapons.
Tehran rejects those wider demands. Iranian officials say their nuclear program serves peaceful purposes and describe limits on missile development as a national security red line.
Trump still argues that his ultimatum as a path toward stability. “They can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “You can’t have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon.”
