President Trump said he is returning to the negotiating table but warned that if talks fail, he will resume powerful military action. The statement, attributed to Trump, did not specify the venue or the subject of the negotiations.
President Donald Trump confirmed Monday evening that he is returning to the negotiating table regarding Iran, while warning that if the talks fail, the United States will resume powerful military action. The statement, which did not specify the venue or subject of the negotiations, was the latest in a cascade of remarks from the president in the span of an hour.
Earlier this evening at 18:00 Jerusalem, the story unfolded rapidly. In an exclusive interview with Israel's N12, Trump said he was not giving the talks much time and warned that failure would lead to a return to powerful military action. Shortly afterward, he told Axios that he had granted mediators' request to give negotiations a chance, but with limited patience. Minutes later, before his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he was giving the talks a chance but warned of 'very strong military action' if they fail. The president then told journalist Barak Ravid that he had given Iran 'another chance' but would not allow it to drag on indefinitely. Tonight's statement appears to be a further confirmation of that position, possibly after the meeting.
The Zioneer has previously reported on Trump's ultimatums regarding Iran. In a June 15 interview with the New York Times, the president said he would 'renew military attacks' on Iran if nuclear talks faltered. On June 8, after an Iranian missile barrage, Trump called on Tehran to 'return to the negotiating table,' signaling a strategy of negotiating under fire. A June 11 report indicated that the White House adopted a 'negotiating under fire' approach, using backchannel diplomacy alongside military pressure.
It remains unclear whether tonight's statement refers to the same diplomatic track as previous rounds. The White House and Iranian officials have not commented on the latest remarks, and no additional details about the venue or subject of the talks have been released.
7 developments
- StrongTrump: Iran requested halt to fighting; warns of return to combat if no deal
- StrongTrump tells Axios he agreed to give Iran talks a chance, warns time is short
- StrongTrump: US has 'a lot of ammunition, many types,' warns of return to fighting if no Iran deal
- DevelopingTrump tells NYT he will 'renew military attacks' on Iran if nuclear talks falter
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