Bombs or talks: What's next in the US-Iran showdown?

US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal

Photo composite illustration of Donald Trump, Ayatollah Khamenei and Masoud Pezeshkian with a map of Iran
It is 'alarming to hear the drumbeat' for another war in the Middle East
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Shutterstock / Getty Images)

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."

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

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.