US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that military action against Iran remains under consideration, revealing that he had nearly approved a strike earlier in the day before deciding to delay it.
Speaking at the White House, Trump said he was close to giving the final order but chose to hold back at the last moment.
His comments came as Qatar stated that Pakistan-facilitated negotiations between Washington and Tehran still needed more time to produce results.
Trump claimed Iranian officials were seeking an agreement with the United States, but warned that failure to reach a deal could trigger fresh American strikes within days.
He indicated that any potential action could take place by the weekend or early next week, stressing that Washington would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
