U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Iran to negotiate a nuclear deal or face a significantly more severe U.S. military response, escalating rhetoric amid renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran.
In a social media post, Trump urged Iran to return to negotiations, calling for a “fair and equitable deal” that would bar the country from developing nuclear weapons. “Time is running out, it is truly of the essence,” he wrote.
The Republican president, who withdrew the United States from a 2015 multinational nuclear agreement with Iran during his first term, said that a previous warning he issued to Tehran had been followed by a military strike. “The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” Trump added, claiming that another U.S. “armada” was moving toward Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said earlier on Wednesday that he had not been in contact with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days and had not requested negotiations, according to state media.
