U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States may strike Iran again, claiming he was only an hour away from deciding on an attack before postponing it at the request of U.S. allies in the Gulf.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said Iran's leaders were "begging" to make a deal, but warned that a new U.S. attack could take place in the coming days if no agreement is reached.
He said the timeline could be Friday, the weekend or early next week, stressing that Washington "can't let them have a new nuclear weapon."
Trump said several Gulf allies had told him there was progress in negotiations brokered by Pakistan toward a peace deal so he would allow a "limited period of time" -- two or three days, at least -- for talks to continue.
The president said on Monday that this time was "a little bit different" from previously stalled talks in which Washington thought a deal was close.
"We've had periods of time where we had, we thought, pretty much getting close to making a deal, and it didn't work out. But this is a little bit different," Trump told reporters.
The United States and Israel have completed joint preparations for a possible resumption of military operations against Iran, Israel's Kan TV reported Tuesday, citing a U.S. security official.
"The United States and Israel are fully coordinated. Neither side will be surprised if a decision is made to resume the war," the official was quoted as saying.
According to the report, the Israeli military is also bolstering defensive measures amid concerns that Trump's remarks and growing public discussion of renewed fighting could prompt Iran to launch a preemptive attack.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli government on the possibility of renewed military action against Iran.
Despite the reports, Israel's Home Front Command said that, "following a situational assessment," its defensive guidelines would remain unchanged and remain in effect at least through Saturday night.
Iran will "open new fronts" against the United States if the latter resumes attacks, Iran's ISNA news agency reported, citing Iran's army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia.
"If the enemy acts foolishly, falls into the Israeli trap and commits another aggression, we will open new fronts against them with new methods," Akraminia was quoted as saying by ISNA on social media platform X.
Iran's deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on social media that Iran is united and will firmly respond to any form of military aggression. He also noted that the U.S. claims to have temporarily halted its attacks on Iran for negotiations but continued threatening to launch massive strikes.
Trump says U.S. may strike Iran again
Russian officials and scholars say they expect Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China to bring new progress in ties with China, pointing to the importance of educational exchanges and the close cooperation between the two sides when it comes to global issues.
Putin arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday night to begin a two-day state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This marks President Putin's 25th visit to China, with the two presidents set to exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest, according to a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The visit comes as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination, the 25th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation and also sees the launch of events under the China-Russia Years of Education for 2026 and 2027.
Russia’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov pointed to the importance of these educational exchanges between the two sides.
"We believe the designation of 2026 and 2027 as the China-Russia Years of Education is a natural progression [in our ties]. We sincerely welcome the continued deepening of such exchanges and cooperation. We also welcome the growing attention from multiples sectors towards education in Russia and China, as this is mutually beneficial and reciprocal," Falkov said in a recent interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
In recent years, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has enjoyed sound, steady and in-depth development, with expanding cooperation in various fields, and the two sides have also made an important contribution to maintaining global strategic stability and upholding international fairness and justice, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Monday.
Vasily Kashin, director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the HSE University in Moscow, expects the meeting between the two heads of state to further address these key issues.
"China and Russia have established a strategic partnership for 30 years. During this period, we have closely coordinated on the international stage and jointly responded to various crises and global political changes. We expect that in their talks, the leaders of the two countries will discuss issues related to the world order," he said.
Russian officials, scholars expect Putin visit to open up new chapter in relations with China
Russian officials, scholars expect Putin visit to open up new chapter in relations with China
