On June 19 the White House confirmed that President Donald Trump has given Tehran roughly two weeks to accept a negotiated settlement with Israel or face the possibility of U.S. military involvement in the burgeoning Israel-Iran war. Reading a prepared statement during the daily press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quoted the president directly: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”

The remark codifies speculation that began two days earlier when Trump abruptly left the G-7 summit in Banff, Canada, and spent the night in the Situation Room reviewing strike options against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Administration officials stress the deadline is not a green light for an automatic attack, but rather a final window for diplomacy before “other tools” are considered.