Trump: Washington will decide within two weeks regarding Iran, and Bagheri says that Tehran is not satisfied with “paper pledges”

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Washington must decide whether to move forward with additional steps towards Iran or “ratify the agreement,” stressing that he will implement many things during the next two weeks.

Trump told reporters at the White House regarding the proposals being considered by Iran, “It does not matter what the proposals include, it will not possess nuclear weapons,” adding that Tehran will not take any step without Washington’s approval.

Trump said that the United States has control in Iran of everything it has wanted to control since it began its presence there seven months ago, adding, "You will soon know what we will decide about Iran," expressing his preference not to destroy what is left of Iran, but he said, "I may have to."

On the other hand, Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, told state television that Tehran is not satisfied with “paper pledges” and demands to see practical steps by the United States before starting any new diplomatic efforts.

The Iranian army spokesman had warned that any aggression, new adventure, or hostilities in the region would not lead to the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that its reopening is contingent on the United States’ compliance with the seven conditions set by Tehran.

The spokesman said that Iran will target, if it is subjected to an attack, all material and non-material targets of the United States without taking into account any geographical restrictions, noting that the Iranian Leader stressed during his meeting with military leaders the necessity of responding quickly to any attack.

This comes at a time when, on Friday, the American President made a phone call with the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss efforts aimed at ending the tension between the United States and Iran, in light of a diplomatic movement aimed at avoiding a new round of conflict.

A Qatari statement said that the two leaders discussed Qatar's mediation efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement to end the regional crisis.

On the field level, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the downing of a sixth American MQM-170 drone over Qeshm Island.

In a brief statement, the Revolutionary Guards Public Relations Office stated that the Guards' aerospace force shot down the plane over Qeshm Island using "advanced electronic warfare systems."

The Revolutionary Guard had announced earlier the same evening that it had shot down a fifth plane of the same type over Qeshm Island.

On the other hand, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing increasing pressure, with Democrats in Congress announcing their intention to open investigations into his performance and management of the war on Iran, while a Republican representative intends to submit articles of impeachment in preparation for his removal.

These moves come after the Democrats won a majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections, while President Donald Trump and his vice president, Jay Dee Vance, attributed the Republican losses to the war on Iran, of which Hegseth was one of the most prominent supporters and spokesmen for the administration regarding it.

Despite mounting calls for his impeachment, Trump still stands by his defense secretary, saying that he is “doing a very good job,” in response to a question about the possibility of appointing a successor to him.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin received Thursday in Moscow Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei and held “very important discussions” with him on strengthening relations between the two countries.

Russia and Iran are among the countries most exposed to international sanctions, and they have close political relations. Their military and economic partnership has greatly strengthened since the Russian attack on Ukraine more than four years ago.

Rezaei told reporters after the meeting that he held "very important discussions about the prospects" of relations between Moscow and Tehran, according to what the Iranian embassy reported.

Rezaei added that the Russian President stressed “the necessity of having regional security mechanisms,” rejecting “any interference by external forces” in resolving the situation in the Middle East.