Trump Reveals He Was ‘an Hour Away’ from Iran Strike — Threatens ‘Big Hit’ if Negotiations Fail

President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that Iran could soon face “another big hit,” revealing he was only “an hour away” from approving renewed military strikes before pulling back to allow several more days for negotiations that Gulf allies argued could still produce a deal.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the administration had moved to the brink of renewed military action before regional allies urged him to pause.

“We were all set to go,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. “We were ready to go tomorrow — very big — and not something I wanted to do, but we have no choice because we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”

The president added that he had been “an hour away” from making the final decision and said the operation “would have been happening right now.”

Trump said leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and several regional partners urged him to delay military action after telling him they believed negotiations had made enough progress to justify several additional days for diplomacy.

According to Trump, those conversations came after regional leaders learned Washington had moved significantly closer toward military action and urged the administration to allow negotiators more time. Trump recalled the leaders asking for “a couple more days,” arguing Tehran appeared more willing to engage than before.

The president indicated the diplomatic window would remain brief, making clear the administration was prepared to revisit military action quickly if negotiations again stalled.

Trump said Tehran would likely have until later this week — potentially stretching into early next week — before the administration reassesses whether diplomacy has run its course.

Trump again tied that compressed timetable to his longstanding argument that Iran could never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon, reiterating his belief that Tehran would ultimately use one if given the capability.

While Trump said he hoped diplomacy succeeds, he stressed that force remains fully on the table should negotiations collapse.

“We may have to give them another big hit,” Trump warned. “I’m not sure yet. You’ll know very soon.”

The president later added that if an agreement preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon could be reached “without bombing the hell out of them,” he would be “very happy.”

Trump also said the administration had informed Israel and regional partners of the delay, describing it as “a very positive development” while cautioning that previous periods of apparent progress had later broken down.

Axios reported Tuesday that Trump met Monday evening with senior national security officials and received briefings on military options after publicly postponing the planned strike, as the administration continued weighing both diplomatic and military paths forward.

Speaking during a White House briefing later Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance suggested ongoing divisions and competing power centers inside Tehran continue complicating negotiations.

Vance said administration officials often struggle to determine whether conflicting Iranian messages stem from internal disagreements, poor coordination, or shifting negotiating tactics.

“It’s sometimes hard to figure out exactly what it is that the Iranians want to accomplish out of the negotiation,” Vance said.

Vance also stressed that while the administration continues preferring a diplomatic outcome, Washington remains “locked and loaded” should negotiations fail.

The remarks came as Iranian officials publicly outlined positions appearing to show little movement from proposals Trump previously blasted as “garbage” and “totally unacceptable.”

Iranian state outlets this week described demands including sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets, compensation for wartime damage, ending the U.S. maritime blockade, withdrawing American forces from areas surrounding Iran, and preserving what Tehran describes as its right to uranium enrichment.

Publicly stated Iranian positions continued appearing far apart from Trump’s central demand that Tehran permanently abandon any path toward a nuclear weapon.

Iranian officials simultaneously projected defiance Tuesday, publicly dismissing suggestions that Trump’s decision reflected successful pressure from Washington.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi declared Iran remained prepared for renewed conflict, arguing the country would not back down under military threats.

“For us, surrender has no meaning; we either win or become martyrs,” he said.

Iranian military officials also warned they could “open new fronts” if fighting resumes.

Separately, CENTCOM said Tuesday that U.S. forces have redirected 89 commercial vessels and disabled four since launching its blockade campaign against Iranian ports in April. The maritime pressure campaign remains part of the administration’s broader effort to further squeeze the regime economically while negotiations continue.