Watan-U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday declined to answer journalists’ questions about whether the United States was planning to bomb Iran or its nuclear facilities, stating that Iran had reached out to Washington but insisting that “the time for talking has passed.”
Speaking to reporters, Trump said: “There’s a big difference between where we are now and where we were a week ago. Nobody knows what I’ll do.”
Trump confirmed that Iran had contacted the United States for negotiations, just days after a series of retaliatory strikes exchanged between Iran and Israel.
‘I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I’m going to do’
Donald Trump is asked if the US will strike Iranian nuclear facilities
The President adds: ‘Iran has got a lot of trouble’https://t.co/6AXIpfJ5oO pic.twitter.com/Dz2F94KOOt
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 18, 2025
When asked directly if Tehran had made contact, Trump responded, “Yes,” and added, “I said it’s too late for talks… There’s a huge difference between today and a week ago, isn’t there?” He continued, saying that the Iranians had “offered to come to the White House,” describing the offer as “bold.”
He added that Iran had proposed holding talks at the White House but did not elaborate further. He also claimed that Iran had “no air defense at all.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the military was prepared to carry out any decision President Trump might make regarding Iran. He suggested the U.S. stance may become clearer in the coming days.
Testifying before a Senate committee, Hegseth was cautious and declined to confirm whether the Pentagon was actively preparing strike options on Iran. However, under pressure from senators, he admitted that the military was ready to follow any presidential orders related to Iran. He noted that Tehran should have responded to Trump’s previous calls for a nuclear deal before the Israeli airstrikes began last Friday.
Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee:“They should have made a deal. When President Trump says something, it means something. The world knows that. And at the Department of Defense, our job is to be ready with options—and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
He was also asked whether the Trump administration was attempting to reestablish deterrence, a term often used to describe efforts aimed at preventing hostile actions from adversaries.
He replied:“I believe we have already reestablished it, in many respects, under these circumstances. The question now is: where exactly will these actions take us in the days ahead?”
Classified Briefing on Israel-Iran War Requested
In related news, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday that he had requested a classified briefing for all 100 U.S. senators regarding the escalating situation between Israel and Iran, which has led to several days of airstrikes between the two nations.
“We’ve received some briefings, but I’ve asked for a full classified session for all senators,” Schumer said, adding that he believes the administration will comply.
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