TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Donald Trump is currently facing political pressure from various directions regarding America's involvement in the Iran and Israel conflict, which is escalating. They have not provided any certainty whether the U.S. will attack Iran's nuclear facilities, but have given an ultimatum for Iran to surrender.
In a series of meetings at the White House, Trump gave contradictory signals about America's strategy, creating confusion among allies and adversaries. When interacting with the media earlier this week, Trump displayed his famous ambiguous characteristic: "You don’t know that I’m going to even do it," as quoted by Al Jazeera.
He then continued, "I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this: Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate."
Later, when posing for photos in the Oval Office with visiting Juventus players, Trump again indicated that he hasn't made a decision, and is unlikely to do so until the last moment. "I have ideas as to what to do, but I haven’t made a final [call]," Trump said.
"I like to make a final decision one second before it’s due, you know? Because things change, especially with war. Things change with war. It can go from one extreme to the other."
Trump's policy is facing resistance from a polarized Congress. Members of parliament from both parties have introduced legislation to limit the president's authority in this conflict. Even among Trump's supporters, there is a fierce debate about whether or not to attack Iran, as seen between commentator Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz.
The current Israel-Iran conflict, according to Trump, would never have started if Iran had agreed to the U.S.'s terms to limit its nuclear program. U.S. officials have been meeting with them since April to discuss limiting Iran's uranium enrichment, a necessary step in building nuclear weapons.
Diplomatic efforts suffered a serious setback after Israel's attack on June 13 changed the dynamics of the conflict. On Friday, Iran's state TV announced that Iran would not participate in the sixth round of nuclear negotiations with the U.S. scheduled on Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Muscat, Oman.
Trump expressed his frustration with the failed negotiations, blaming Iran for not taking advantage of the 60-day deadline he gave in April. "Why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?" he said. "I said to people: Why didn’t you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would’ve had a country.It’s very sad to watch this."
According to Trump, the coming week will be "very important" for the development of the conflict, although he did not provide specific details about the steps that will be taken.
With the reported death toll in Iran reaching 240 people, including 70 women and children, the pressure for conflict resolution is increasing. However, amidst harsh rhetoric and political calculations, it seems that Trump is still searching for the right formula to end the crisis without sacrificing America's credibility or strategic interests.
Editor's Choice: Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender, Warns Patience is "Wearing Thin"
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