President Trump suggested Saturday that the door remains open to fresh military strikes against Iran, contingent on Iranian actions in the coming weeks.
"If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we'll see. It's a possibility that could happen, certainly," Trump told reporters when asked directly about ordering new attacks.
The warning arrives as diplomacy moves forward on multiple fronts. Iran submitted a 14-point proposal Thursday for a framework agreement designed to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian plan proposes a one-month window to negotiate terms covering the naval blockade and ending the wider conflict in Iran and Lebanon. Only after that phase would a second month of talks address nuclear program issues, according to sources familiar with the proposal.
Trump received a briefing Thursday from CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper detailing military strike options. The admiral subsequently traveled to the region, meeting with personnel aboard the USS Tripoli in the Arabian Sea on Saturday.
Despite his reservations about Iran's initial offering, Trump said he would examine the proposal more closely. "I'm looking at it. I'll let you know about it later," he said before departing Palm Beach for Miami. "They're going to give me the exact wording now."
His skepticism surfaced almost immediately. On Truth Social, Trump declared he "can't imagine that it would be acceptable" and underscored that Iran "has not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years."
The posture reflects Trump's dual-track approach: pursuing a negotiated resolution while maintaining military pressure as leverage. The 14-point Iranian framework sets strict timelines and sequencing that may complicate quick resolution, leaving both sides room to escalate or retreat depending on how talks unfold.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump is essentially betting he can squeeze Iran harder through the threat of force than through immediate negotiation, but that's a high-wire act with missiles on both ends."
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