‘Gave Iran a 60 days, today is day 61’: Trump hints Israeli strikes came because Iran didn't 'make a deal', offers Tehran second chance

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Iran might still have a “second chance” to reach a nuclear agreement, just hours after Israeli airstrikes hit key military and nuclear sites in Iran. The statement comes ahead of a planned sixth round of nuclear talks in Oman.

“Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

US denies supporting Israeli strikes

Earlier, Iran accused the United States of backing the Israeli assault. Washington has denied any involvement but said that they were aware of Israel's plan. Explosions were reported in Tehran on Friday as Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.

Israel has declared a state of emergency, bracing for retaliation in the form of missile or drone attacks from Tehran.

Trump: ‘Great death and destruction’

In an earlier Truth Social post, Trump repeated his call for Iran to negotiate, warning that the consequences could be far worse if diplomacy fails.

“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it’, but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done,” he said.

He also underscored the military strength of both the United States and Israel. “The United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.”

Trump said Iranian hardliners had underestimated the response they would face, stating: “Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!”

Iran calls Israeli attack a ‘declaration of war’

Following the Israeli strikes, Iran said the assault was a “declaration of war” and urged the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action. According to Iranian officials, three top military figures were killed, Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, and Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader and former IRGC commander.