Trump Says "10 Days for Iran Talks"...Will He Attempt a Venezuela‑Style Invasion? (Comprehensive)

Likelihood of Strike on Iran Rising
"Focus on Limited Military Strikes"

On the 19th of last month (local time), the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) conducted joint training with fighter jets. U.S. Navy website

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran swiftly reach an agreement on nuclear negotiations, explicitly setting a negotiation deadline of "ten days." He issued a strong warning that if Iran fails to reach a nuclear agreement within ten days, the United States could immediately carry out military retaliation. At the same time, President Trump urged countries to join and donate to the self-established "Board of Peace," which he set up under the banner of stabilizing the Middle East. As the Trump administration is expected to continue pushing its "Peace through strength" strategy in the Middle East, international oil prices have surged to their highest level in six months.

Trump: "Negotiation deadline is 10 days, 15 days at most"

Trump Donald, President of the United States (center), is posing for a commemorative photo at the first Peace Commission meeting held on the 19th (local time) at the Donald Trump Peace Institute in Washington D.C., United States. At the event, Trump Donald pressured Iran over nuclear negotiations and urged countries to participate in the Peace Commission and to donate. Washington D.C. (United States) = Reuters

On the 19th (local time), President Trump exerted strong pressure on Iran while presiding over the first meeting of the Board of Peace at the "Donald Trump Peace Institute" in Washington D.C. He said, "We will probably reach an agreement. You will probably know the result within the next ten days," and stressed, "We must reach a meaningful agreement (with Iran). Otherwise, bad things will happen."

Later, during a press conference aboard Air Force One while traveling from Washington D.C. to Georgia, President Trump again brought up the issue of nuclear negotiations with Iran. He said, "We will make the negotiations happen one way or another," and stated that 10 to 15 days would be sufficient time. In doing so, he effectively presented a concrete timetable while demanding that Iran return to the nuclear talks. When reporters asked about his remark that "bad things could happen to Iran," he replied, "I will not say," but added, "Ten days would be enough (for the negotiation deadline). Around 15 days is almost the maximum."

With President Trump explicitly fixing the negotiation deadline at 10 days, concerns are growing that the likelihood of a U.S. attack on Iran has risen significantly. In June of last year, just before he was on the verge of launching surprise airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, President Trump had also mentioned a "two-week" deadline.

◆ International oil prices jump to six‑month high

AP Yonhap News Agency

As the possibility of a U.S. airstrike on Iran has increased, international oil prices have risen again, climbing to their highest level in six months. On this day at the ICE Futures Exchange, Brent crude closed at 71.66 dollars per barrel, up 1.9% from the previous session. This is the highest level in about six months since July 31 of last year. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also rose 1.9% from the previous day to 66.43 dollars per barrel, reaching its highest price since August 1 of last year.

Andrew Lipow, head of oil market analysis firm Lipow Oil Associates, told Reuters, "Geopolitical tensions and concerns that the United States could attack Iran soon have pushed up oil prices," adding, "The market will continue to show strength as it anticipates that something will happen."

◆ Will the U.S. attempt a Venezuela‑style "surgical strike"?

Reuters Yonhap News Agency

As the possibility of a U.S. attack on Iran grows, some analysts predict that Washington may attempt the same "surgical strike" method it used in its previous airstrikes on Venezuela. If the United States were to wage a prolonged war in Iran, there would be a risk that the conflict could escalate across the entire Middle East, so it is highly likely that Washington will put the emphasis on limited military strikes.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that "the initial strikes on Iran will focus on limited attacks targeting a small number of military and government facilities," and that "these limited strikes will not merely serve as a punitive measure for the breakdown of negotiations, but will be used as a platform to extract negotiations favorable to the United States." The paper went on to analyze that "President Trump could start on a small scale and then gradually ratchet up the level of attacks until the Iranian regime halts its nuclear activities or collapses."

The British broadcaster BBC also suggested that a Venezuela‑style surgical strike is a leading scenario for a possible U.S. attack on Iran. The BBC said, "The United States could choose a form of military intervention in which the Iranian regime remains intact but its policies are moderated," and predicted, "While allowing the regime to stay in place, it would push for a reduction in support for armed groups across the Middle East, a halt or scaling down of nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and an easing of the suppression of protests." The report noted that it is difficult to predict how events will unfold, given both the serious risk of escalation and the extent of Iran's influence in the Middle East.

However, it remains uncertain whether such a Venezuela‑style scenario would work. The BBC pointed out that the United States could face difficulties because the Iranian regime has resisted the United States for the past 47 years, and because Iran is militarily and geographically more difficult to attack than Venezuela.

◆ Trump presses countries to join and donate to the Board of Peace... 9 countries donate over 10 trillion won

Reuters and Yonhap News

While effectively issuing a final ultimatum to Iran, President Trump also pressed the international community to join and donate to the Board of Peace he created. At the Board of Peace meeting, President Trump said, "I believe this is the most consequential board in terms of power and stature. There has never been a board of this stature. That is because the greatest world leaders have gathered here," adding, "Almost everyone has accepted, and those who have not yet accepted will join." He then sent a warning to several countries that remain skeptical about participating in the Board of Peace, saying, "You can't play cute with me," meaning they should not try to dodge participation in a clever way.

President Trump also called on countries to make voluntary donations along with joining the Board of Peace. He said, "For humanitarian aid and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip, nine participating countries in the Board of Peace — Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait — have donated more than 7 billion dollars (about 10 trillion won)," and added, "I am pleased to announce that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) will help raise a total of 75 billion dollars for the Gaza Strip project," while also stating that the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is in the process of raising 2 billion dollars. He further said, "Japan has just pledged to host a fundraising event for aid, and it will be a very large event," and added, "Other countries in the region, such as South Korea, the Philippines, and Singapore, will participate. I believe China and Russia will also take part."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.