President Donald Trump has warned Iran that “bad things” will happen if the country refuses to negotiate a deal on its nuclear program.
Trump issued the threat at the Oval Office, stating that Iran is “very high on my list of things to watch.”
The president urged Iran to negotiate, saying “we will have to talk it out or very bad things are gonna happen to Iran, and I don’t want that to happen.”
Trump expressed his preference for a peaceful resolution, stating “my big preference is that we work it out with Iran.”
However, he reiterated his warning, saying “if we don’t work it out, bad, bad things are gonna happen to Iran.”
The US leader had sent a letter to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in March, with a two-month deadline for reaching a new nuclear deal.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that a response to Trump’s communication was sent through Oman.
The US has deployed B-2 stealth bombers to the Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean, sparking concerns of a potential military action.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned that “threats will never achieve anything” and that America and its allies “will receive a severe blow” if Iran is attacked.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf also warned that US bases and allies in the region will be made unsafe if Iran faces aggression.