President Donald Trump told the New York Post on Friday that he anticipated Israel would carry out a military strike on Iran if the Islamic Republic failed to agree to a revised nuclear agreement with the United States within a set timeframe.
“I always knew the date,” Trump said in a brief phone interview. “Because I know everything. I know everything. I know everything.”
“I gave them 60 days, and they didn’t meet it,” he added. “Today is day 61, you know.”
Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on April 7—just over two months before Israel launched attacks targeting top Iranian nuclear scientists and military leaders. Iran retaliated by dispatching 100 drones toward Israeli territory, which the IDF reported were successfully intercepted.
Asked whether Netanyahu had shared intelligence regarding Iran’s nuclear development, and whether the 60-day window had been mutually agreed upon, Trump said, “I know what’s happening. Someone told me.”
Washington has continued urging Iran to dismantle its uranium enrichment program in exchange for reintegration into the global economy. Yet Tehran has rejected these terms. On June 4, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei challenged US authority, stating, “Who are you to tell us whether we should have a nuclear program or not?”
“They had an excellent opportunity to make a deal,” Trump said. “They chose not to take it.”
Earlier Friday, the president indicated that Washington remains open to future negotiations, with indirect discussions expected to resume this weekend.
“I laid out what they needed to do, but they couldn’t manage it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Now they might have a second shot!”