WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday the outcome of the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks will be decided over the next 10 days amid high tensions and increased U.S. military buildups in the Middle East.
Trump made the remarks when addressing the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" in Washington, D.C.
Local analysts said Trump was suggesting a possible U.S. strike on Iran could happen within the period.
"You're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days," Trump said, calling Iran "a hotspot right now."
"We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we're going to make a deal," he said.
"It's proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise bad things happen," Trump added.
The White House said Wednesday that Tehran is expected to present more details on its negotiating position within weeks.
"Diplomacy is always his (Trump's) first option," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, but also noted that "there are many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran."
A Trump adviser has estimated a "90 percent chance" of strikes within weeks if talks fail, Axios reported Tuesday, noting that the U.S. raid could involve a large-scale, weeks-long campaign. ■