Trump says he has not decided on major Iran strikes

Harry Archie July 25, 2026

International

No Comments

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has not yet decided whether to launch major military strikes on Iran.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the United States is still holding talks with Iran and that Tehran appears to be taking the negotiations more seriously.

“We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re becoming more serious every day,” Trump said.

His comments came after reports that he met with senior advisers to discuss the possibility of a large-scale military operation against Iran.

Trump said Iran has two choices: reach an agreement with the United States or face stronger military action. He said US forces are ready if needed but added that he hopes talks will produce results.

“We’re ready to go, but we’re talking to them. We’ll see what happens,” he said.

The conflict, which Trump had earlier predicted would last only a few weeks, is now close to its fifth month. The prolonged fighting has also affected his public approval ahead of the US midterm elections in November.

Trump said his main concern remains Iran’s nuclear programme. He repeated that the United States would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Reports of Possible Larger Attack

Earlier, The New York Times reported that Trump met with his advisers to discuss military options. Axios also reported that he was considering a “massive attack” on Iran.

Trump also said he believes Russia and China are not supplying weapons to Iran.

He said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had both assured him that they would not arm Iran.

“I trust them,” Trump told reporters.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump warned that it would be “very bad” for Russia or China if they supplied weapons to Iran.

Trump also said that while the United States sells weapons to NATO countries, he does not directly sell weapons to Ukraine. He added that NATO members pay for the weapons and decide how they are used.

Trump has often spoken more positively about Xi and Putin than many of America’s traditional allies, saying they should be respected as leaders of major world powers.