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Chance for diplomacy or ploy to deceive? What's behind Trump's two-week deadline to Iran?
The White House has announced that Donald Trump will decide within two weeks whether to strike Iran. Does the American leader hope that additional strikes by Israel will force Tehran to the negotiating table, or is it a way to bolster America's military? read more
"I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," said Donald Trump on Thursday. Reuters
Two weeks, 14 days.
That's when Donald Trump will decide if America will directly involve itself in Israel's war against Iran. This new deadline was offered by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday as the hostilities between the two countries entered the eighth day.
Quoting Trump, Leavitt said: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.'
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This new deadline comes 24 hours after Trump said he had not made up his mind on joining the conflict.
But as we count down the hours to 14 days, what's at stake? What's behind Trump's 336 hour window? Can Iran be convinced of coming to the negotiating table?
What is Trump's new deadline to Iran?
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he will decide whether to join Israel's strikes on Iran within the next two weeks. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a message from Trump after what she called 'a lot of speculation' about whether the United States would be 'directly involved' in the conflict.
.@PressSec Karoline Leavitt says President Trump will make a decision on Iran "within the next two weeks." pic.twitter.com/f57yfwLOjl — CSPAN (@cspan) June 19, 2025
'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,' Trump said in the statement.
When pressed on Trump's remarks, Leavitt denied that Trump was trying to put off a decision, saying, 'If there's a chance for diplomacy the president's always going to grab it, but he's not afraid to use strength as well.'
The White House press secretary in her interaction with the media also reasserted that Iran was just a 'couple of weeks' away from being able to produce a nuclear weapon' — a charge that Tehran has repeatedly denied.
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'Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon . All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon,' she said.
The two-week deadline given by Trump comes just a day after he expressed ambiguity on America joining the conflict. On Wednesday, he had told reporters, 'I may do it. I may not do it.' In fact, the US president has remained ambiguous on the US' involvement in the war — he has vacillated from trying to seek a diplomatic solution with Iran to calling the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei an easy target and demanding for Tehran's 'unconditional surrender'. As Shira Efron, director of research at Israel Policy Forum, a New York-based research group, told the New York Times, 'It's very puzzling. You're seeing him say one thing and then another.'
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House on Thursday, June 19. AP
Is Trump trying to buy time?
However, many analysts note that Trump's two-week window doesn't really account for anything as the US president has used this measure of time several times in the past.
For instance, three-and-a-half weeks ago, Trump said that Russia had two weeks to demonstrate a willingness to end the war in Ukraine or face new economic sanctions. We are still awaiting his decision on that.
When earlier asked if he was able to trust Russian President Vladimir Putin, his answer was, 'I'll let you know in about two weeks.'
Even in his first term as president, Trump has used two weeks. He had announced in 2020 that he would be unveiling a 'full and complete health care plan' in two weeks. That plan is yet to be released.
A reporter even pointed out this pattern to Leavitt in the press briefing, saying, 'How can we be sure he's going to stick to this one on making a decision on Iran?' But Leavitt dismissed the question, saying that Iran and Russia are separate issues.
A member of the Israeli security forces walks near the Soroka Medical Centre, the city's general hospital, at an impact site following a missile strike from Iran on Israel, in Beersheba, Israel. Reuters
Is Trump giving diplomacy another chance?
But what's really behind Trump's two-week deadline to Iran? Some analysts point out that it is the US president's way of giving diplomacy one more chance to work.
Some White House insiders hope that the constant Israeli barrage of missiles on Iran will push Tehran to the negotiating table wherein a deal could be struck. Notably, foreign ministers from Britain, Germany and France are travelling to Geneva today (June 20) to hold talks with Iranian representatives with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy saying, 'A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.'
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He further added, 'Now is the time to put a stop to the grave scenes in the Middle East and prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one.'
Al Jazeera's senior political analyst Marwan Bishara noted, 'I would say the following: He's (Trump) giving the Europeans some time so that everyone could save face.'
However, Al Jazeera's Doha Jabbari had a different take on things. On the talks in Geneva, she said, 'If they [Iran] don't go, they're going to be accused of basically saying we're not going to talk, we just want war. They're going to have to travel, and the Europeans are acting as a mediator between Iran and the US.'
Protesters hold a banner with a message and images of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a 'No War on Iran' rally in New York City. Reuters
Is the two-week deadline a ploy by Trump?
But many pundits note that this two-week deadline by Trump could actually be an effort to deceive the Iranians and get them to let their guard down. 'It could be cover for a decision to strike, immediately,' James G Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral and the former supreme US commander in Europe, said on CNN. 'Maybe this is a very clever ruse to lull the Iranians into a sense of complacency.'
But even if it's not a ruse as mentioned by James G Stavridis, it does give Trump time to bolster his own military options. It gives America enough time to get its second aircraft carrier into place, giving US forces a better chance to counter the inevitable Iranian retaliation, with whatever part of their missile fleet is still usable. The New York Times also reported that it gives Israel more time to destroy the air defences around the Fordow enrichment site and other nuclear targets, mitigating the risks to US forces if Trump ultimately decided to attack.
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What does Israel have to say?
The two-week deadline given by Trump doesn't align with Israel, who has been urging Trump to join the attack. However, responding to it, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel's Kan broadcaster that the campaign was proceeding 'ahead of schedule.'
'We will achieve all our objectives and hit all of their nuclear facilities. We have the capability to do that,' he said.
Whether Trump 'wants to join or not — that's entirely his decision,' Netanyahu added.
With inputs from agencies
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