Trump gives ’10-15 days’ ultimatum to Iran for nuclear deal, says ‘or it’s going to be unfortunate’

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has warned Iran to come to terms with the US on the nuclear deal within 10 to 15 days or “it’s going to be unfortunate”.

Interacting with the reporters, the US President said, “We’re either going to get a deal, or it’s going to be unfortunate for them… 10-15 days would be enough time”.

President Trump warned Iran that it must make a deal over its nuclear program or ‘really bad things’ will happen, drawing a threat from Tehran to retaliate against US bases in the region if attacked https://t.co/Y2L2CPVgc6 pic.twitter.com/0nFJVPJL4X

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2026

Earlier, Trump at the Board of Peace repeated the same threats, “Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that’ll be great. If they don’t join us, that’ll be great, too. But it’ll be a very different path.”

He stressed that Tehran could not continue destabilising the region.”They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region. And they must make a deal. Or if that doesn’t happen, bad things will happen if it doesn’t,” the US President said.

Trump suggested that Washington’s approach towards Iran could escalate if negotiations fail. “Now we may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days”, he said, signalling that developments could unfold in the near term.

The US has deployed air and naval forces to West Asia, marking the most substantive deployment to the region since the US invaded Iraq in the year 2003, CNN reported. The US military is prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend, though President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision on whether he’ll authorise such actions, CNN said, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran give up its nuclear programme, including agreeing not to enrich any more Uranium. In June last year, the US a 12-day war, conducting strikes on military and nuclear sites across Iran.

A NYT report cited US officials as saying that the US military buildup in the West Asia includes dozens of refueling tankers, rushed to the region by United States Central Command, more than 50 additional fighter jets, and two aircraft carrier strike groups, complete with their accompanying destroyers, cruisers and submarines.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford was approaching Gibraltar on Wednesday as it made its way to join the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the region, the NYT said. Over the past month, the US military has moved into the West Asian region air defences — including Patriot missile defence and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) systems- which can intercept Iranian ballistic missiles. (ANI)