US president threatens military action against Iran over nuclear program

In a stark warning to Iran, US President Donald Trump threatened military action and secondary tariffs if the country fails to reach an agreement with the United States regarding its nuclear program.

Trump issued an unambiguous ultimatum: “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” he said, referring to potential military strikes, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The President also suggested that if negotiations falter, he could implement secondary tariffs similar to those imposed during his previous term. “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 that brought them to a position that they very much wanted to be,” Trump added.

The threat comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, which have escalated since Trump’s return to the White House. The Trump administration has repeatedly emphasized its position that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The current dispute traces its roots back to the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which Trump unilaterally withdrew during his first term. Trump’s administration consistently accused Iran of failing to honor the terms of the deal, which also included key international powers such as China, Russia, France, Germany, Britain, and the European Union.

In response to the escalating rhetoric, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that Iran had rejected the possibility of direct negotiations with the US over its nuclear program. Pezeshkian made the announcement, stating, “Although the possibility of direct negotiations between the two sides has been rejected in this response, it has been emphasized that the path for indirect negotiations remains open.”

The standoff between the two nations has intensified further as Trump has demanded that Iran abandon any nuclear weapons aspirations. The diplomatic impasse is marked by a refusal on both sides to bend to the other's terms, leaving the future of US-Iran relations uncertain.

Earlier in March, Trump issued another sharp warning to Iran, vowing to take military action if Iranian-backed forces in Yemen, namely the Houthis, continue their attacks. He declared that further strikes by the militant group would be considered a direct assault from Iran, promising that such an action would be met with “great force.”

By Vafa Guliyeva