Donald Trump on Thursday called on Iran to reach what he described as a “meaningful deal” with Washington, cautioning that failure to do so would result in “bad things” for the Middle Eastern nation.
“It's proven to be over the years not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran. We have to make a meaningful deal otherwise bad things happen,” Trump said while addressing the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace”, a body formed by him to secure stability in Gaza and beyond.
He added that negotiations must move forward within the next 10 days or the United States “may have to take it a step further”. Without specifying what action that might entail, he said, “You're going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days.”
Trump reiterated that peace in the Middle East would not be possible if Iran possessed nuclear weapons.
“They can't have nuclear weapons. They can't have peace in the Middle East if they have nuclear weapons. They have been told that very strongly,” he said.
The remarks come amid an expanded US military presence in the Middle East. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has moved advanced F-35 and F-22 fighter jets to the region.
The US has also deployed major naval assets. While the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was already operating near Iran’s coast, a second carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, has been dispatched to the area.
Separately, Axios reported that a war between the US and Iran could be “imminent” and may last “for weeks”, citing US officials and advisers who suggested military action could begin sooner rather than later.
The heightened rhetoric comes even as the two countries held a second round of talks in Geneva, mediated by Oman. The US is seeking to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb, an objective Tehran denies pursuing, while Iran is pressing for relief from US sanctions.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu also issued a warning to Tehran. “If the ayatollahs make a mistake and attack us, they will receive a response they cannot even imagine,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.
