Trump’s Two-Week Delay on Iran Isn’t Weakness—It’s Leverage

When President Donald Trump says he’ll make a decision “within the next two weeks” on whether the United States will join Israel’s escalating military campaign against Iran, many critics interpret this as dithering. But make no mistake: this is not indecision. It is deliberate leverage.

According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump is keeping the door open for diplomatic engagement with Tehran before making what could be a region-defining decision. The president, she said, still sees “a substantial chance of negotiations” with Iran and will weigh his military options only after that window closes.

In other words, Trump is offering Iran a final chance. Not because he believes in Tehran’s goodwill, but because he understands that power—real power—is knowing when to strike and when to step back and let the threat speak for itself.

A Familiar Trump Doctrine

This is classic Trump—borrowed from his “peace through strength” approach during his first term. He isn’t rushing to deploy troops or order airstrikes because that would eliminate his strongest card: unpredictability. By letting the world wonder what he’ll do, he forces Tehran to calculate risks and potentially reconsider its nuclear trajectory.

Israel Strikes First, but Trump Holds the Cards

Israel has already launched a fierce response, hitting Iranian assets in Syria, Iraq, and possibly inside Iran. But while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalates on the battlefield, Trump is escalating psychologically. His delay is not retreat; it is dominance in disguise.

Diplomacy Under Threat

Trump knows Iran responds to pressure, not pleas. The two-week timeframe is not a promise of peace—it is a deadline. It sends a message to Tehran and the international community: the U.S. prefers diplomacy, but will not wait forever.

What we’re witnessing is not weakness. It’s strategy. If Iran wants to avoid what Trump has repeatedly called “total obliteration,” now is the time to make concessions. Otherwise, that two-week clock might tick down to war.