Trump Reiterates Warning of Possible Military Action if Iran Rejects Nuclear Agreement

Trump Reiterates Warning of Possible Military Action if Iran Rejects Nuclear Agreement

Former U.S. President Donald Trump once again warned that military force could be used if Iran fails to agree to halt its nuclear development, emphasizing that Israel would be a central player in any potential military engagement.

Speaking on Wednesday, Trump stressed that Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. Should diplomatic efforts fall short, he said, a military response would be on the table.
“If it comes to military action, that’s what we’ll do. Israel will be at the forefront of any such move. We make our own decisions—we don’t take orders,” Trump stated.

He refrained from giving a timeline for when such an intervention might take place, saying, “I won’t give specifics. But you can usually tell early on if talks are productive or not. I’ll know when they’re not going anywhere.”

Earlier in the week, Trump surprised many by announcing that direct negotiations between the U.S. and Iran on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were scheduled to begin Saturday. He cautioned that Iran would face serious consequences if the discussions failed.

Despite pushback from Tehran, Iran confirmed that indirect talks would proceed in Oman, highlighting the ongoing divide between the two sides. Iranian state media reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi would lead Iran’s delegation, while U.S. Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff would represent Washington, with mediation by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.

Although indirect negotiations took place under President Joe Biden, they yielded minimal progress. The last substantive direct talks occurred during Barack Obama’s presidency, which led to the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump later exited.

During his administration, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the multinational agreement intended to restrict Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. He also reimposed broad sanctions on Tehran.

Since the U.S. withdrawal, Iran has significantly exceeded the deal’s uranium enrichment limits. Western governments suspect Iran is covertly working to gain nuclear weapons capabilities, pointing to enrichment levels beyond what is needed for civilian use. Tehran insists its nuclear activities are strictly for peaceful energy production.