On July 27, President Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Iran, warning that if negotiations fail, the U.S. will resume military strikes. This came as a brief pause in hostilities offered a narrow window for diplomacy.
He claimed that Iran only sought talks after its military faced relentless U.S. attacks. “The only reason they want to meet is because we’ve been hitting them hard,” Trump told reporters. “Without what we did, they wouldn’t even talk to us.”
When asked about the potential progress of peace talks, Trump said, “I think there’s a good chance something will happen. If it does, great. If not, we’ll go back to what we were doing two days ago.”
After 13 consecutive nights of U.S. strikes against Iran, both sides have refrained from firing for three days, creating what some see as a fragile opening for diplomacy. Trump added that Iran had requested meetings through intermediaries and direct channels—a claim swiftly denied by Iranian officials.
“They’ve been hit hard, and they very politely asked us, ‘Please stop. Let’s meet,'” Trump said. “That’s where we are now. I have plenty of time. We’re having good talks, so let’s see what happens. If we can’t reach a deal, we’ll go back to where we started.”
Trump emphasized that any pause in attacks is conditional, stating he’s willing to give diplomacy a chance but remains ready to ramp up pressure if talks fail.