US President Donald Trump on Wednesday intensified his warnings toward Iran, urging Tehran to negotiate a new nuclear agreement and threatening far stronger military action if it refuses.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘come to the table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — no nuclear weapons — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out,” Trump said in a social media post. He added that a “massive armada” was heading toward Iran.
Referring to earlier military action, Trump said Iran had ignored a previous warning that was followed by a major strike. “They didn’t make a deal, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse,” he warned.
Iran rejected the threats, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying negotiations could not happen under military pressure.
“Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful,” Araghchi said in televised remarks. “If they want negotiations to take shape, they must certainly set aside threats, excessive demands and raising illogical issues.”
The renewed tensions follow Washington’s backing of Israel’s 12-day war in June, which targeted Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile facilities. Trump has repeatedly left open the possibility of further military action, particularly after Iran’s recent violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
While Trump earlier threatened strikes over the protest response, both sides had recently signaled willingness to give diplomacy a chance. However, the situation escalated again with the arrival of a US naval strike group in the region.
US Central Command confirmed that a strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has entered Middle Eastern waters, without disclosing its exact location.
Iranian officials have also reportedly engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomacy with Arab states to build regional support as US forces move closer.
Meanwhile, Türkiye urged Washington to prioritize negotiations over conflict. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned against military action and called for reopening nuclear talks with Tehran.
“It’s wrong to attack Iran. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again,” Fidan said in an interview, advising the US to resolve disputes with Iran issue by issue rather than as a single package.
Ankara, which shares a long border with Iran, has repeatedly voiced opposition to military operations against Tehran, warning that any new war could destabilize the region.
