Trump says US may need to hit Iran again in coming days

President Donald Trump tours Ballroom construction around the outside the White House on Tuesday. (AP)

• President says new US attack would happen in the coming days if a ‌deal with Iran is not reached
• Claims Iran’s leaders are begging to make a deal

DUBAI/WASHINGTON: US President Donald ​Trump said on Tuesday that the United States may need to attack Iran again, and he was only an hour away from deciding on a strike before he postponed the attack.
Trump was speaking to reporters at the White House a day after saying he had paused a planned resumption of attacks following a new peace proposal by ‌Tehran.
“I was an ‌hour away from making the ​decision ‌to ⁠go today,” Trump ​said ⁠on Tuesday.
He also said Iran’s leaders are begging to make a deal, but that a new US attack would happen in the coming days if one was not reached.
“Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, ⁠because we can’t let them have a ‌new nuclear weapon.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian ‌state media said Tehran’s latest peace proposal ​involves ending hostilities on ‌all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of US forces from ‌areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction caused by the US-Israeli war.
In Tehran’s first comments on the proposal, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions, the release of ‌frozen funds and an end to the US marine blockade on the country, according to ⁠IRNA news ⁠agency.
The terms as described in the Iranian reports appeared little changed from Iran’s previous offer, which Trump rejected last week as “garbage.”
Reuters could not determine whether preparations had been made for strikes that would mark a renewal of the war Trump started in late February.
Under pressure to reach an accord that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a key supply route for global supplies of oil and other commodities — Trump has previously expressed hope that a deal was close ​on ending the conflict, ​and similarly threatened heavy strikes on Iran if Tehran did not reach a deal.