Iran could build nuclear weapon in 'couple of weeks', says White House as Trump weighs possible military strike

The White House on Thursday said that Iran could build a nuclear weapon within “a couple of weeks,” as President Donald Trump weighs possible military action against the Islamic Republic.

“Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that, and it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon,” AFP quoted White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as telling  reporters at a routine briefing.

Trump will make a decision on whether the US will get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict in the next two weeks.

Citing a message from Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations 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.”

Leavitt said former President Trump remained open to a diplomatic resolution with Iran, but emphasized that his foremost priority was preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

She added that any agreement would need to ban Iran from enriching uranium and completely dismantle its capability to develop nuclear arms.

“The president is always interested in a diplomatic solution …he is a peacemaker in chief. He is the peace through strength president. And so if there’s a chance for diplomacy, the president’s always going to grab it,” Leavitt said. “But he’s not afraid to use strength as well I will add.”

Leavitt declined to comment on whether President Trump would seek congressional authorisation before launching any potential strikes on Iran, but reiterated that the US remains convinced Iran is closer than ever to acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The conflict escalated Thursday after Israel bombed nuclear-related sites in Iran, prompting Tehran to launch a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel following a strike on an Israeli hospital. Both sides appear entrenched, with no clear path to de-escalation.

Leavitt confirmed that Trump had been briefed on Israel’s actions and warned that Iran would face “grave consequences” if it failed to cease its nuclear activities.

Facing what analysts call its most serious security threat since the 1979 revolution, Iran is reportedly weighing a broader response.

Trump has kept global observers uncertain about Washington’s next move, shifting between calls for urgent diplomacy and hints of direct military engagement.

On Wednesday, he said “nobody knows” what he would do, while the previous day he floated the idea of killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and demanded Tehran’s unconditional surrender.

According to three diplomats cited by Reuters, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi have held multiple phone conversations since Israel began its strikes last week.

With inputs from agencies