U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, urging it to abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons or face the threat of a potential military strike on its nuclear facilities.
Speaking to reporters, Trump accused Tehran of deliberately dragging its feet in ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States. “I think they’re stringing us along,” he remarked, following recent diplomatic talks in Oman between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Iranian representative.
Despite Trump’s tough rhetoric, both the U.S. and Iranian sides described Saturday’s meeting as “positive” and “constructive.” A second round of talks is expected to take place this weekend, with Rome likely to be the host city, a source close to the process said.
The negotiations are still in an exploratory phase, aimed at developing a broad outline for a possible future agreement.
However, Trump made it clear that any such deal would require Iran to completely forgo its nuclear weapons ambitions.
“Iran has to get rid of the concept of a nuclear weapon. They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he stressed.
When asked if a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities remains an option, Trump responded, “Of course it does.” He went on to claim that Iran is “fairly close” to developing a nuclear weapon, emphasizing the need for urgent action to prevent what he warned could be serious consequences.
Indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran took place during President Joe Biden’s administration, though those talks made little headway.
The last major agreement on Iran’s nuclear program was the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), brokered under President Barack Obama—a deal Trump withdrew from during his first term in office.
