Bombs or talks: What's next in the US-Iran showdown?
US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal


President Donald Trump is nearing a self-imposed deadline for a deal to deter Iran's nuclear program. The next step might be negotiations — or an attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities.
Trump is "seriously considering" an Iranian proposal for "indirect" talks on the issue, said Axios. That is the carrot. The stick is that America is also "significantly boosting" its forces in the Middle East, moving bombers and an aircraft carrier strike group to the region in case the president orders military strikes. He recently gave Iran's leaders a two-month deadline to make a deal, "but it's not clear if and when that clock started ticking."
"The war drums are getting louder in Washington," said Sina Toossi at Responsible Statecraft. While the president has said he "wants a deal," hawkish factions connected to his administration are "promoting confrontation." But a war would "blow up Trump's broader agenda" and might motivate Tehran to push its nuclear program behind the threshold stage and actually build a weapon after decades of development. "That's not the legacy" Trump should want.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
'Window of opportunity'
"It doesn't look like the administration is playing around," said Noah Rothman at the National Review. Israel's recent "decimation" of Iran's proxy groups Hamas and Hezbollah has arguably left the regime in Tehran more vulnerable than at any time since the 1979 revolution. An American attack on Iran would be "fraught" with risks, however. Iran could, for example, "activate terrorist assets" to strike targets inside Western countries. But there is a "window of opportunity" to neutralize Iran's nuclear program: "It won't be open forever."
"Is an attack likely? Yes," said Michael Rubin at 19FortyFive. The "chess pieces" are already moving into place. America has typically shown restraint toward the Islamic Republic, but Trump notably "does not constrain himself with diplomatic received wisdom." Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei may want the U.S. to attack, which might "rally Iranians around the flag to make up for his declining legitimacy." Even so, a confrontation is probably coming soon: "Time is ticking on a new conflict in the Middle East."
'On course to start a war'
It is "alarming to hear the drumbeat" for another war in the Middle East, said Daniel Larison at Eunomia. The Trump administration is asking too much of Iran: In addition to ending the nuclear program, the White House also wants the Iranians to "halt all support for allied groups throughout the region," as well as "withdraw all their forces from Iraq and Syria." Tehran won't agree to such "humiliating" terms. It's time for the American public to take notice: "The U.S. is on course to start a war with Iran for no good reason."
Trump has "yet to demonstrate a coherent strategy for dealing with Iran," said Imran Khalid at The Hill. The president "oscillates between threats and vague promises of negotiation" and in so doing actually encourages Iran to advance its nuclear program. Real diplomacy between America and Iran will take "trust, consistency and a willingness to compromise," but those qualities seem to be in "short supply."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Music reviews: Bon Iver, Valerie June, and The Waterboys
Feature "Sable, Fable," "Owls, Omens, and Oracles," "Life, Death, and Dennis Hopper"
By The Week US
-
Are bonds worth investing in?
the explainer They can diversify your portfolio and tend to be a safer investment than stocks
By Becca Stanek, The Week US
-
Elon has his 'Legion.' How will Republicans encourage other Americans to have babies?
Today's Big Question The pronatalist movement finds itself in power
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Elon has his 'legion.' How will Republicans encourage other Americans to have babies?
Today's Big Question The pronatalist movement finds itself in power
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tour
Talking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Why the GOP is nervous about Ken Paxton's Senate run
Today's Big Question A MAGA-establishment battle with John Cornyn will be costly
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
America's woes are a foreign adversary's spy recruitment dream
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal workers reel from mass layoffs, the United States is becoming ground zero for international adversaries eager to snatch up disgruntled spies-to-be
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
What's at stake in Kilmar Ábrego García's Supreme Court case?
Talking Points A test of Trump's immigration agenda
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Trump's federal return-to-office mandate descends into chaos
In the Spotlight Was the administration unprepared, or was it a tactic to drive employees to quit?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
Could Trump's tariff war be his undoing with the GOP?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The catastrophic effects of the president's 'Liberation Day' tariffs might create a serious wedge between him and the rest of the Republican party
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US