US envoy: Trump could use military force if Iran fails to reach deal

US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker has said President Donald Trump could deploy the full strength of US military power if Iran fails to reach an agreement with Washington within what it described as a reasonable timeframe.

Whitaker said in an interview with Fox Business that Trump would be prepared to use military force to pressure Tehran into a deal, without specifying any deadline for negotiations.

He added that the president would bring to bear what he described as “all of the incredible armed forces in the military that the United States has” if Iran did not agree within what he called a “prudent amount of time.”

Whitaker also said that Trump “holds all the cards on the Iran issue, which he will continue to play as he sees fit,” portraying the administration as maintaining strong leverage over Tehran.

By Sabina Mammadli