Trump says he gave Iran 'two or three days' to accept a deal, warns of military action

President Donald Trump said on May 21 that Iran had only a few more days to answer U.S. demands before he could consider renewed military action, according to remarks he made to reporters and interviews cited by several outlets. The comment came after Trump said earlier in the week that he had postponed a planned U.S. attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders. Iran said on Thursday it was reviewing the latest U.S. position. Pakistan, which hosted earlier talks, remains the channel for messages between the two sides. ### Where did the “two or three days” comment come from? Trump said on May 19 that he had agreed to delay a planned strike on Iran after requests from Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In remarks reported by CNBC, Trump said those leaders asked him to wait “for two or three days” because they believed a deal was close. (straitstimes.com) News18, citing Trump’s remarks to reporters, reported that he later said a decision on fresh strikes could come in “two or three days… maybe Friday or Saturday, early next week.” The White House has not publicly released a formal deadline document, but Trump’s public comments set out a narrow window. (cnbc.com) ### What did Trump say on Thursday? Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews on May 21 that “if we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly,” according to Reuters reporting carried by The Straits Times. Asked how long he would wait, Trump said, “It could be a few days, but it could go very quickly.” He also said, “Either have a deal or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty.” (news18.com) Joint Base Andrews was the setting for one set of remarks, while earlier comments the same day were also reported by Reuters. Trump repeated that he would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and said the United States was in the “final stages” of its decision-making. ### What attack did Trump say he had paused? (straitstimes.com) Trump said on May 18 that the United States would not carry out a “scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow,” referring to a strike he said had been planned for May 19. In a Truth Social post and later public remarks, he said he had still instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine to be ready for a “full, large scale assault” if no acceptable deal was reached. (straitstimes.com) Politico reported that Trump was due to meet his national security team on May 19 to discuss Iran further. Al Jazeera separately reported that Trump linked the pause to what he called “serious negotiations” already underway. ### How has Iran responded? Iran said on May 21 that it had received Washington’s latest views and was reviewing them, according to Iranian state-run agency Nour News as quoted by Reuters. (cnbc.com) Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said several rounds of communication had taken place through Pakistan. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also warned on May 21 against renewed attacks. (politico.com) Reuters reported that the Guards said that if aggression were repeated, a “promised regional war” would extend beyond the region. ### What are the sticking points in the talks? Reuters reported on May 21 that Iran’s latest position appeared to repeat demands Trump had previously rejected, including sanctions relief, release of frozen assets, compensation for war damage, withdrawal of U.S. troops and control-related demands tied to the Strait of Hormuz. (straitstimes.com) Al Jazeera reported this week that Tehran has also said lifting sanctions and access to frozen assets are part of its demands. The next visible marker is likely to be any new statement from the White House, Iran’s foreign ministry or Pakistan’s mediators in the coming days. Trump said the timeline could be as short as “a few days,” and Iran said on May 21 that it was still reviewing the U.S. position. (straitstimes.com)