Donald Trump has threatened Iran with a new war over its nuclear programme
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Sunday evening with a resumption of war if Tehran continues to refuse to comply with Washington’s demands regarding its nuclear programme, according to the NY Times.
In a social media post, Trump stated that Iran must act quickly, “otherwise there will be nothing left”, adding that “time is running out”. However, he did not specify any particular deadlines. Over the past two months, Trump has made similar statements on numerous occasions, but no new strikes have followed.
Negotiations between the US and Iran have been deadlocked for several weeks now. Trump has repeatedly stated that he may order a resumption of attacks if the Iranian authorities do not make concessions.
For its part, Iran continues to reject US demands to reduce uranium enrichment and cease attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for the transport of oil and gas. The situation surrounding the strait has caused market volatility and a sharp rise in oil prices.
On Monday, Iran announced that it had submitted another counter-proposal to the US as part of the negotiations. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the negotiation process is continuing via Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator between the parties.
Commenting on Trump’s statements, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists: “Don’t worry, we know very well how to respond.” He did not provide any details. Previously, the Iranian authorities had repeatedly warned of a harsh response in the event of new attacks by the US and Israel.
The Pentagon is considering the possibility of resuming Operation “Epic Rage”, which was suspended following the announcement of a ceasefire last month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had spoken with Donald Trump over the weekend.
“We are keeping a close eye on Iran. Today, as I do every few days, I will be speaking with our friend President Trump,” Netanyahu said on Sunday.
According to two Middle Eastern officials, the US and Israel are conducting intensive preparations for a possible resumption of attacks on Iran. They noted that this is the largest-scale preparation since the ceasefire came into effect. The war began in late February following a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran, which drew much of the Middle East into the conflict.
The Pentagon has already deployed massive forces to the region: around 50,000 troops, two aircraft carrier strike groups, and dozens of F-22s, F-15s and strategic bombers.
At the same time, analysts believe that following the ceasefire, the US faces a difficult choice. Air strikes may be resumed, but many military experts doubt that bombing alone will be enough to force Iran to agree to American demands.
Among the possible options under consideration is a special forces operation to seize stocks of highly enriched uranium, which the US and Israel regard as a potential basis for the creation of nuclear weapons. However, such a scenario could pose a risk to American troops and further intensify domestic criticism of the war in the US.
Over the past month, the Trump administration has relied on a campaign of pressure to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
The US also briefly launched the ‘Operation Freedom’ initiative to escort ships that remained blocked in the strait. The programme was suspended the very next day to allow for further negotiations with Iran.
