US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was considering a limited military strike on Iran, but did not give further details, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
“I guess I can say I'm considering it“, Trump said in response to a reporter's question about whether he was considering a limited strike to increase pressure on Iran to make a deal on its nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he expects to have a draft of a counter-proposal ready within days after talks on Iran's nuclear program this week.
Araghchi said his counter-proposal would be ready for consideration by senior Iranian officials officials within the next two or three days and a new round of talks between the United States and Iran is possible in about a week. He added that possible military action would complicate efforts to reach a deal.
Araghchi did not give a specific deadline for the Iranian side to deliver its counter-proposal to US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but said he believed a diplomatic solution was within reach and could be achieved "in a very short time."
Trump on Thursday gave Tehran 10-15 days to make a deal, threatening that "very bad things" would happen if it did not. This comes amid a buildup of US military forces in the Middle East, fueling fears of a wider war, Reuters notes.
The Israeli army said its forces were on "high alert" in relation to Iran, but there was no change in instructions for the civilian population.