State Department emphasizes diplomacy on Iran, cites two-week window mentioned by president; declines to detail certain operational steps

The State Department reiterated on Thursday that President Trump said he would decide “within the next 2 weeks” whether to pursue certain diplomatic steps involving Iran, and the department said it has engaged special envoy Steve Witkoff in talks that drew Iranian participation.

State Department spokesperson Tammy said the president had “made it very clear” that he hoped to stop conflicts through diplomatic means and that he would make a decision in the two-week window referenced in his statement. “Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place in the near future, I will make my decision of whether or not to go within the next 2 weeks,” Tammy said, quoting the president’s remarks as recounted at the briefing.

Reporters asked whether the U.S. was sending a representative to Geneva to join European counterparts; Tammy declined to characterize the administration’s diplomatic moves from the podium and said the president would make decisions about how to proceed. She confirmed that negotiations have involved “special envoy Steve Witkoff” and that such talks had helped bring Iran to the table, but she would not describe the precise nature or timing of U.S. participation in Geneva discussions.

On broader security questions, Tammy said the administration’s position remains that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon” and called that the president’s “ultimate red line.” When asked about Russian statements and whether the U.S. had reached conclusions about President Putin’s intentions in Ukraine, Tammy said U.S. posture would be guided by the parties’ actions: “we will not listen to what they say, we’re gonna watch what they do.” She added that the secretary of state and the president are continuing diplomacy and that the president and secretary would attend meetings in The Hague next week, where additional conversations with allies are expected.

Why it matters: The briefing sketches the administration’s current posture—emphasizing diplomacy while reserving substantive operational details for internal decision-making—and signals continued engagement on multiple crisis fronts, from Iran to Ukraine.