President Trump said Thursday that he expects to determine within the next 10 days whether the United States will launch military action against Iran, following the deployment of a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.

Speaking at a Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Trump indicated that both diplomatic and military options remain under consideration. “We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You are going to be finding out over the next, probably, 10 days,” he said.

The president pointed to US airstrikes carried out in June against three Iranian nuclear facilities, arguing that the operation reduced tensions in the region. His comments come as some US-aligned Arab governments have expressed concern that another round of strikes could destabilize the area.

“It totally decimated the nuclear potential, and when it did, when it decimated that, all of a sudden we had peace in the Middle East, because there was a black cloud hanging over the Middle East. And if that wasn’t done, that cloud would have been there,” Trump said.

In early January, Trump warned that military action could follow if Iranian authorities violently crushed anti-government demonstrations. The regime subsequently carried out a harsh crackdown that reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths. Since then, discussions led by Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have centered on Iran’s nuclear activities.

The president urged Tehran to accept US terms. “Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that’ll be great. If they don’t join us, that’ll be great too, and it’ll be a very different path,” he said.

“They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region. And they must make a deal or if that doesn’t happen … bad things will happen.”

Last month, Trump ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group into the Arabian Sea, positioning US forces for potential operations. A second aircraft carrier group is now heading to the region, further strengthening the American naval presence.

In addition to naval deployments, the Pentagon has moved fighter aircraft and other military assets to bases in Europe and the Middle East.

Trump recently described the prospect facing Iran as “traumatic” if it refuses to yield to US pressure.

He also met last week at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, where the two leaders discussed possible military scenarios. Netanyahu has reportedly advocated targeting Iran’s long-range ballistic missile capabilities.

Trump has publicly supported the idea of regime change in Tehran, even as he has long criticized previous US administrations for interventions that destabilized parts of the Middle East, including Iraq.

While raising the possibility of a new political order in Iran, the president has not identified a preferred successor to the current leadership. He has also dismissed exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi as a realistic alternative.