President Donald Trump announces U.S. nuclear innovations at the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2026. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)U.S. President Donald Trump stated on the 24th (local time) that Tehran is currently showing a "serious" attitude in negotiations with Washington, adding that he has not yet decided whether to launch a large-scale airstrike against Iran.

According to AFP, these remarks came shortly after reports emerged that a growingly frustrated President Trump had met with senior advisors to discuss the possibility of launching a major military operation against Iran.

When asked by reporters in the Oval Office whether he had made a decision, President Trump replied, "No, I have not."

He said, "Look, I am talking to them now. Perhaps for obvious reasons, their attitude seems to be getting more serious as the days go by."

With a ceasefire agreement shattered by nearly two weeks of U.S. strikes, President Trump said that Iran must choose between reaching a deal or facing "much more powerful" airstrikes.

The U.S. stated that it is conducting airstrikes to prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key strategic waterway. In response, Iran attacked U.S. military bases, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers.

President Trump said, "We are fully prepared and ready to strike. However, we are in the middle of talks with them now, so we will have to see what comes out of them. I... believe they are very serious. They have to be."

This war, which President Trump once predicted would last four to five weeks, is now entering its fifth month and is weighing on Republican approval ratings ahead of the critical midterm elections in November.

President Trump added that he did not know what the "turning point" for a decision might be, but reaffirmed his position that Iran coming close to developing nuclear weapons would be his "red line."

The New York Times previously reported that President Trump met with his aides on Friday, and Axios reported on Thursday that he had spoken of considering a "massive strike" on Iran.

In a previous social media post, Trump reaffirmed his belief that Russia and China are not supplying weapons to Iran, a stance that contradicts reports that both countries are providing intelligence to Tehran to help target U.S. forces.

Trump told reporters, "I mean, President Xi said he wouldn't get involved, and President Putin said the same thing. You know I trust them," adding, "I don't think they want to disappoint me."

In an earlier post on the Truth Social platform, Trump had warned Moscow and Beijing not to sell weapons to Iran.

He wrote, "If they do, it will be very bad for them, and it certainly would not be in their best interest."

President Trump stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he met in Beijing last May, told him that he would not supply weapons to Iran under any circumstances, and added that Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a similar promise despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"He understands that I sell weapons to NATO member countries, not to Ukraine. They pay in full, and I have no idea how those weapons are distributed," President Trump said.

U.S. NNP = CEO Hong Sung-goo / Special Report for NNP info@newsandpost.com