Trump Gives Iran About Three Days to Respond

After U.S. President Donald Trump called off potential strikes on Iran, he quickly set a new timeline for reaching an agreement. According to Ynet, Trump has given Iran “about two to three days,” with an expected deadline sometime this weekend. However, he has also suggested that a deal could still come as late as next week. Despite ongoing talks, Iran continues to show little flexibility, and many in Israel believe a new wave of strikes remains likely.

Trump prefers a deal to renewed fighting, though not at any price. For that reason, any delay in a strike is now seen by him as a necessary move, even if it projects weakness and confusion to the Iranians.

If Trump fails to reach an agreement with Iran, the repeated delays could also increase his legitimacy at home and abroad. In effect, Trump can present himself as the one seeking an agreement and trying to prevent war, while arguing that Iran continued pushing toward renewed fire.

Some officials have suggested Trump may be trying to mislead Iran by delaying the strikes, but senior officials believe there is little advantage in that, since Tehran has no ability in any case to prevent an effective strike on any site. The ayatollahs’ regime can respond wildly and cause regional and global economic damage, but it will not be able to stop attacks aimed at it.

Meanwhile, as Israel celebrates Shavuot, Hezbollah drones continue targeting IDF forces in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. This morning, the commander of the 401st Armored Brigade suffered a head injury after a drone struck his unit. Another officer was also wounded in the attack. In response, the IDF has begun conducting counterterrorism operations at night, since Hezbollah drone attacks are more likely to occur during daylight hours when visibility is higher.

During times of uncertainty, our faith remains constant. As such, The Fellowship and our supporters continue to pray for wisdom and direction in the ongoing peace talks, and that next week will bring solutions rather than further conflict.