 "US President Donald Trump. File image/Reuters")
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of “bombing” if Tehran refuses to sign an agreement with Washington DC over its nuclear programme.
During a telephonic conversation with NBC News, Trump said the US and Iranian officials have held talks but didn’t provide more details.
“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” Trump warned. “But there’s a chance that if they don’t make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago,” he added.
Iran rejects direct talks with the US
Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ruled out direct negotiations with the US in the first official response to a letter from President Trump to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
However, Pezeshkian added Iran’s response opened the window of indirect talks with the US.
“We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far,” Pezeshkian said in a televised Cabinet meeting. “They must prove that they can build trust.”
In his letter, Trump had urged Iran to come to the negotiating table and sign a new nuclear deal that would discourage the Shi’ite nation from pursuing the development of a nuclear bomb.
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful, but officials have hinted at pursuing nuclear weapons.
Since Trump’s return, his administration has prioritised preventing Iran from acquiring nukes. In February, a UN report confirmed that Iran has accelerated near weapons-grade uranium production, fuelling global concerns.
During his 2017-2021 term, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which had limited Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. He later reinstated broad American sanctions, prompting Iran to increase uranium enrichment beyond agreed levels.
Trump’s warning on Sunday came after the US president on Saturday warned Iran of severe consequences if it didn’t sign the deal.
“I sent them a letter just recently, and I said: you have to make a decision, one way or the other, and we either have to talk and talk it out or very bad things are going to happen to Iran,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I don’t want that to happen. My big preference – and I don’t say this through strength or weakness – my big preference is, we work it out with Iran. But if we don’t work it out, bad bad things are going to happen to Iran.”
(With inputs from agencies)