President Donald Trump has reissued a stern warning to Iran, stating that the U.S. would strike the country "really hard" if negotiations over its nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz collapse again. Military action remains on the table as a potential consequence if diplomacy falters.
"If they back out again, they're going to get hit really hard," Trump told Fox News in a recent interview. "They know that. They understand that. I have no choice. They can't have a nuclear weapon. It's very simple."
Trump indicated that a significant military action, which he said would have been the largest since World War II, was narrowly averted recently. He stated that Iran, along with several Middle Eastern nations, requested additional time for negotiations concerning the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear ambitions, leading him to halt the planned strike.
"We were going to a tremendous attack, the biggest since World War II, and they called me and said very politely, 'Please, can we talk? Can we talk?' And I said, 'Yes, we can talk. Let's get it done,'" Trump recalled.
Earlier in the week, Trump had suggested that a deal addressing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program was "imminent." However, Iranian officials have publicly denied engaging in direct talks with the U.S., asserting that negotiations are proceeding through intermediaries in Oman. Reports indicate that Iranian and Omani officials have made progress toward a potential agreement to reopen the strait, though discussions are ongoing.
Despite Iran's public statements, Trump described the current negotiations as "very good," though he noted that the denials were "a little bit disconcerting."
"It's just such a lie," Trump said. "But it doesn't matter. That's talk. The only thing that matters is action. And they want to make a deal. We'll see what happens. If they don't make a deal, it's going to be too bad."
When asked about the threshold for abandoning talks, Trump expressed no urgency to walk away from diplomacy, stating, "I have plenty of time."
He also criticized previous administrations for failing to resolve the issue, specifically referencing the nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama. "Obama was taken to the cleaners," Trump asserted.
Trump has previously characterized the current round of negotiations as Iran's "last chance" to avert escalated U.S. military action. The initial focus of these talks, he outlined, is the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, followed by addressing Tehran's nuclear program.