 "White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to members of the media, in the briefing room at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday. Reuters")
Ahead of the US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump wants Iran to know that there will be “all hell to pay” if it does not abandon its nuclear programme, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Friday.
Leavitt said Trump’s “ultimate objective is to ensure that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon,” adding that while he supports diplomacy, “all options are on the table” if talks don’t succeed.
“But he’s made it very clear to the Iranians, and his national security team will as well, that all options are on the table, and Iran has a choice to make. You can agree to President Trump’s demand, or there will be all hell to pay, and that’s how the president feels. He feels very strongly about it,” Reuters quoted Leavitt as saying.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet an Iranian delegation in Oman on Saturday.
According to Iranian state media, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will lead the Iranian side, with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi acting as mediator.
In February, Trump reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, including a push to reduce its oil exports to zero.
Earlier this week, Trump warned, “If the talks are unsuccessful, Iran is going to be in great danger.”
With inputs from agencies