The fragile pause in the US-Iran standoff appeared to narrow further on Tuesday after President Donald Trump said Washington was prepared to strike Iran again within days if negotiations failed, prompting Tehran to warn that any fresh attack would trigger a wider response.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said Gulf allies had intervened at the last moment, informing him that Pakistan-brokered negotiations were showing progress and requesting more time. He agreed, but put a hard limit on it.

"I was about an hour away from making a decision," Trump told reporters, adding that he had given talks "a limited period of time, two or three days, at least" to produce results.

The timeline he outlined was not certain. "It could be Friday, it could be the weekend, it could be early next week," he said when asked about the possibility of renewed strikes. "We can't let them have a new nuclear weapon."

A deal that feels different, or does it?

Trump acknowledged that previous rounds of diplomacy had come close before falling apart, but suggested the current moment carried different weight. "We've had periods of time where we had, we thought, pretty much getting close to making a deal, and it didn't work out. But this is a little bit different," he said.

He also claimed Iranian leaders were "begging" for an agreement, without elaborating on the source or nature of those signals.

US and Israel: Fully coordinated

Behind the diplomatic posturing, military preparations are reportedly already in place. Israeli broadcaster Kan TV, citing a US security official, reported that Washington and Tel Aviv had completed joint readiness for a possible resumption of operations against Iran. "The United States and Israel are fully coordinated. Neither side will be surprised if a decision is made to resume the war," the official said.

The Israeli military has also reportedly strengthened its defensive posture, amid concerns that public speculation about renewed conflict could provoke a preemptive Iranian response. Israel's Home Front Command said civilian defence guidelines would remain unchanged at least through Saturday night. The Israeli government did not issue an immediate comment.

Iran: We will open new fronts

Tehran responded with unambiguous warnings. Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia told ISNA news agency that any fresh American attack would be met with an entirely different kind of response. "If the enemy acts foolishly, falls into the Israeli trap and commits another aggression, we will open new fronts against them with new methods," Akraminia said in remarks shared on X.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi echoed the defiance, saying the country remained unified and prepared to respond firmly to any military aggression. He also accused Washington of a contradictory posture. pausing attacks to allow negotiations while simultaneously threatening Iran with large-scale military action.

With a self-imposed two-to-three-day deadline, coordinated US-Israel military readiness and Iran warning of new escalation methods, the next few days may determine whether diplomacy holds or whether the conflict enters its next phase.

Published on: May 20, 2026 7:36 AM IST