Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Donald Trump, Natanz Nuclear Facility, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Iran, Operation Rising Lion, Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Major General Hossein Salami, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Ali Shamkhani,
President Donald Trump had issued a 60-day deadline to Iran earlier this year, calling on Iran to reach a negotiated agreement over its nuclear ambitions. The deadline, first outlined in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officially expired on Thursday — one day before Trump publicly confirmed its lapse.
Trump: “I Gave Them a 60-Day Warning”
The countdown began on April 12, when the United States and Iran commenced initial negotiations over the nuclear deal. Trump revealed on Friday morning that the deadline had come and gone.
“Iran should have listened to me when I said — you know I gave them, I don’t know if you know, but I gave them a 60-day warning and today is day 61,” Trump told CNN’s Dana Bash.
The president had first disclosed the contents of his letter to Khamenei in an earlier interview, during which he warned Tehran of potential military consequences if diplomatic efforts failed.
“I hope that Iran, and I have written them a letter, saying I hope you are going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it is going to be a terrible thing for them,” Trump said in a Fox interview earlier this year. “I said, I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran.”
Pressure Mounts on Iran Before Deadline
As the deadline neared, American officials and others involved in the talks had acknowledged growing pressure to secure a deal. Despite this, U.S. officials maintained that negotiations would continue beyond the 60-day period.
But the path forward has now become even more uncertain following a dramatic escalation in hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Israel Strikes Iran in Major Military Offensive
In a sweeping and unprecedented offensive, Israel has launched direct strikes on Iranian soil, targeting key nuclear sites and high-ranking military officials. The military operation, named “Operation Rising Lion,” was announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the campaign would unfold over several days.
According to the Israeli military, 200 fighter jets were used in the operation. In response, Iran fired more than 100 drones toward Israeli territory, according to Israeli defense sources.
Top Iranian Military Leaders Killed
Among those killed in the Israeli attacks were Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military officer. Both were considered key figures in Iran’s defense establishment.
Netanyahu confirmed that the operation struck Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz, as well as nuclear scientists and the heart of Iran’s ballistic missile program. Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported that six nuclear scientists were killed in the strikes.
Also Read: Operation Rising Lion: Which Iranian Nuclear Sites Did Israel Target And Why?
