Trump Warns Iran to Make Deal or Face Action

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would either reach an agreement with Iran or “finish the job”, renewing the threat of military action amid increasingly defiant rhetoric from Tehran following the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran ended last week without any public sign of progress toward a lasting agreement. The discussions took place during a 60-day ceasefire intended to create space for diplomacy after the conflict was triggered by US and Israeli strikes on 28 February.

“I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to affect 91 million people”, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. At the same time, he warned that the US military could within an destroy Iran's bridges or cut off its energy supplies. He added that the Islamic Republic was economically exhausted and running out of money.

Trump's remarks came after Khamenei's funeral over the weekend. Despite the war, millions of Iranians gathered to mourn the supreme leader. Throughout the ceasefire, Washington's stated objective remained to revive diplomatic efforts and prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

(Reuters, Max)