As end-of-war talks between the United States and Iran have once again stalled, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that he could strike Iran for two more weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also raised the level of military and diplomatic pressure on Iran, saying he would not end the war until all highly enriched uranium held by Iran is completely removed. As international diplomatic efforts to halt armed clashes hit a wall, geopolitical tensions across the Middle East are again peaking.
According to a compilation of reports from major outlets including Al Jazeera and CBS on the 10th, President Trump hinted at the possibility of resuming heavy bombing of Iran in an exclusive interview aired that day on the U.S. television program Full Measure. Full Measure is a Sunday public affairs and investigative news program by the conservative-leaning U.S. media giant Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Veteran journalist Sharyl Attkisson, formerly of CBS News, currently hosts the show.
In the interview with Attkisson that day, President Trump said of the current situation in Iran, "They (Iran) have been defeated, but that does not mean it is over," adding, "We can go in for two more weeks and completely take out every single target." He continued, "We hit about 70% of the specific targets we wanted, but there are still many other key targets left to strike," making clear that the U.S. military operation has not concluded.
President Trump also said he would respond with overwhelming military force if Iran's leadership attempts to access highly enriched uranium hidden beneath the rubble of bombed nuclear facilities. "We created the Space Force, and they are watching (Iran) closely. If someone walks in there, we can tell you his name, address and badge number," he said, warning, "If anyone even gets a little close to that location, we will know immediately and we will blow them up." Pointing to the security threat from Iran, he added, "They are crazy, so we can never allow Iran to have nuclear weapons."
The biggest sticking point blocking the end-of-war talks is the removal of uranium that poses a high risk of being repurposed for nuclear weapons. International monitors estimate that Iran holds about 970 pounds (about 440 kg) of highly enriched uranium, close to bomb-grade. The United States is demanding, as an essential condition for ending the war, that the uranium be completely shipped out of the country and that Iran's nuclear program be fully dismantled. Iran, however, is steadfastly resisting, saying it cannot give up its domestic enrichment rights.
On the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu also named uranium removal as the top precondition. In an interview on CBS' 60 Minutes aired on the 10th, Netanyahu said, "We must ship the highly enriched uranium out and permanently dismantle the enrichment facilities," repeatedly insisting, "We must go in and take it out ourselves." He said removing the nuclear material through an agreement would be ideal, but left open the possibility of using force if that falls through, saying, "I will not lay out a timetable, but it is an extremely important mission."
The damage facing the global economy is also growing as the war drags on. As Iran continues to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime logistics chokepoint, the average price of gasoline in the United States has topped $4.5 per gallon, stoking severe inflation fears. Iran recently delivered its official response to the latest U.S. end-of-war proposal through mediator Pakistan. But President Trump rejected it as "absolutely unacceptable," sending the prospects for a diplomatic settlement back to square one. Under the temporary truce that took effect dramatically last month, the United States is tightening its encirclement of Iran's major ports, and a series of localized armed clashes have recently erupted in the Gulf, heightening a sense of crisis that a full-scale war could resume.