U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening military action and economic sanctions if Tehran does not agree to a new nuclear deal. Speaking to NBC News in a telephone interview, Trump stated that failure to negotiate could result in “bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
The threat follows Iran’s recent rejection of direct negotiations with Washington, maintaining its stance against direct engagement under what it calls the U.S.’s “maximum pressure” campaign. Despite this, Trump insisted that communication between U.S. and Iranian officials was ongoing but provided no further details.
Trump also raised the possibility of imposing secondary tariffs on Iran, similar to those he enacted in his first term, which affected nations purchasing Iranian goods. He suggested these tariffs could also be extended to Russia, emphasizing that economic pressure remains a key strategy in U.S. foreign policy. “We’ll probably give it a couple of weeks and if we don’t see any progress, we’re going to put them on,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran’s position on Sunday, stating that while direct negotiations were ruled out, indirect talks could continue under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has consistently denied Western allegations that its nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, asserting that its uranium enrichment activities are solely for civilian energy purposes.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have remained high since Trump’s first term when he withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a multilateral agreement that had imposed strict limitations on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The U.S. then reinstated sweeping economic sanctions, prompting Iran to exceed the uranium enrichment limits set by the deal.
With Iran defiant in the face of new threats, the likelihood of a diplomatic breakthrough remains uncertain. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Iran succumbs to U.S. pressure or continues to resist, potentially escalating tensions further in an already volatile Middle East.
