Trump's latest threat comes as tensions ramp up and as the second US carrier nears the Mideast.
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he believes 10 to 15 days is “enough time” for Iran to reach a deal, warning of bad things to happen as Washington seeks the full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, amongst other things.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Trump's latest threat comes as the second US carrier nears the Mideast amid a massive military buildup of US forces in the region.
“It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen,” Trump said Thursday.
And just as Trump ramped up his threats, Iran on Thursday held annual military drills with Russia in a move that signalled both sides are prepared for war if talks on Tehran’s nuclear program fizzle out.
With indirect talks held in recent weeks making little visible progress so far, analysts believe one or both sides could be buying time for final war preparations.
Saying that it hasn’t been enriching uranium since the US and Israeli strikes last summer, Iran wants the current talks to only focus on its nuclear program.
Trump said at the time that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites, but the exact damage is unknown, as Tehran has barred international inspectors.
In a letter to the UN Security Council on Thursday, Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, said that while Iran does not seek “tension or war and will not initiate a war,” any US aggression will be responded to “decisively and proportionately.”
“In such circumstances, all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets in the context of Iran’s defensive response,” Iravani said.
Earlier this week, Iran conducted a drill that involved live-fire in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow opening of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passes.
Growing international concern
Tensions are also rising inside Iran, as mourners hold ceremonies honoring slain protesters 40 days after their killing by security forces. Some gatherings have seen anti-government chants despite threats from authorities.
Trump held off on striking Iran after setting red lines over the killing of peaceful protesters and mass executions in January while reengaging in nuclear talks that were disrupted by the war in June.
According to the New York-based Soufan Center think tank, “This week, another 50 US combat aircraft —F-35s,F-22s, and F-16s—were ordered to the region, supplementing the hundreds deployed to bases in the Arab Gulf states".
"The deployments reinforce Trump’s threat—restated on a nearly daily basis — to proceed with a major air and missile campaign on the regime if talks fail.”
Meanwhile, there has been growing concern in Europe about the impending war between both sides and its wider implications for the Middle East.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged his nation’s citizens to immediately leave Iran, as “within a few, a dozen, or even a few dozen hours, the possibility of evacuation will be out of the question.” He did not elaborate, and the Polish Embassy in Tehran did not appear to be drawing down its staff.
In Germany, the military said, in accordance with the efforts of its allies and in light of the existing circumstances in the Middle East, “a mid-two-digit number of non-mission-critical personnel" have been moved out of a base in northern Iraq.
It, however, said that some troops remain to help keep the multinational camp running in Erbil, where they train Iraqi forces.
There are still some troops in Irbil to help maintain the multinational camp where Iraqi forces are trained, the military said.
Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. The US and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons.