Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Trump at the White House last week to discuss the situation.
With his first official State of the Union address of his second term looming next week, Trump also faces additional pressure to make the case for how a potential attack on Iran fits into his domestic political agenda.
Trump ran for the presidency in 2024 with a promise to disentangle the US from foreign conflicts – a stance that’s popular with his Maga base and many Republicans in Congress who oppose US intervention in places like Ukraine.
Since taking office, however, Trump has launched numerous military attacks, including in Syria, Venezuela, Iran and on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.
An extended air campaign in Iran would risk alienating some supporters ahead of the US midterm elections, in a moment when opinion polls suggest voters are increasingly frustrated with Trump’s handling of issues like immigration and the economy and when the president has drawn criticism for his focus on foreign affairs.
A major attack on Iran would also conflict with Trump’s push for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump has said he deserves it for ending eight wars since the start of his second term, a claim that is widely disputed.
There is no precedent for a US president actively campaigning for the world’s most prestigious peace prize while wielding American military force abroad.
All the uncertainty has left the rest of the world guessing about Trump’s motivations in edging the US closer to war with Iran.
Still, that may be exactly how the president likes it.
Since returning to the White House last year, the president has seemingly relished playing the role of the world’s dealmaker-in-chief.
Trump has presided over numerous signing ceremonies and international summits like the Board of Peace event on Thursday in Washington.
His tariffs regime forced other countries to seek more favourable trade deals with the US, placing Trump at the centre of high-stakes negotiations over the global economy.
Trump commanded worldwide attention last month with the strike on Venezuela and his call for the US to seize control of Greenland.
The dispute over Greenland was another instance where other nations struggled to interpret Trump’s true intentions.
When it comes to Iran, Trump said on Thursday that the world would have to wait and see what he might do.
“We have to make a meaningful deal otherwise bad things happen,” he said.