President Trump on Friday said Iran could still make a nuclear deal to save the Islamic Republic after blowing it the last time he gave them an ultimatum.
The president reminded Iran’s leaders how they let the clock run out last time and now suffered crippling airstrikes by Israel.
“Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61,” Mr. Trump said on social media, referring to his April 12 ultimatum. “I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
He also reminded Iran that he warned them to take the deal the U.S. offered or their situation would be “much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told.”
The overnight attacks on Iran targeted its nuclear and ballistic missile facilities, senior military officials and top scientists involved with the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
The Trump administration has been pressuring Iran to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, which are viewed as an existential threat to Israel’s existence.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday called Israel’s strikes against Iran a “unilateral action” and said Washington had no involvement, while also imploring Tehran not to target U.S. interests or personnel in the region.
Israeli officials warned their citizens of likely retaliation in the hours to come amid fears that the two Middle East powers were on the precipice of all-out war. The Israeli armed forces described the strikes as the “first stage” of an ongoing operation, strongly suggesting that more military action is forthcoming.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Israeli operation as a historic step to prevent a genocide of the Jewish people that could resemble the holocaust carried out by Nazi Germany more than 80 years ago.
• Ben Wolfgang contributed to this report.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.