President Donald Trump has informed senior aides that while he has approved plans for a potential military strike on Iran, he has not yet authorized any action—hoping instead to pressure Tehran into negotiations. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump recently reviewed targeting options for Iran’s Fordow nuclear enrichment facility. Officials say the president believes merely having a strike plan in place might compel Iranian leaders to abandon their nuclear ambitions and come to the table. Asked directly whether a strike was imminent, Trump offered a vague but ominous response: “I may do it, I may not do it.” He followed with a warning: “Iran has a lot of trouble… They want to negotiate. And I said, ‘Why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?’” Trump described the initial U.S.-backed Israeli response to Iran’s actions as devastating, referencing it as a “hell of a first hit,” and suggesting further escalation was possible.

Trump added that Iranian officials had suggested a meeting—even at the White House—but he said it was “very late” to begin discussions. Still, he left the door open: “It’s not too late, but the window is closing fast.” He concluded with a stark demand for “unconditional surrender,” accusing Iran of harboring hostile intentions for decades and warning of the dangers of a nuclear-armed regime. “War is very complex,” Trump said. “Many bad things can happen… but we sure as hell made a lot of progress.” The next week, he suggested, could be decisive.