Trump warns Iran: Failure to reach a nuclear agreement will be very painful
US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to the Iranian regime, asserting that the consequences would be "very painful" if Tehran failed to reach a new and comprehensive agreement on its nuclear program. These remarks came at a time of unprecedented tension in relations between Washington and Tehran, amid US efforts to impose stricter limits on Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Details of the US warning and expectations for the talks
In response to a journalist's question regarding his ongoing consultations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Iranian issue, Trump stated clearly: "We have to reach an agreement, otherwise it will be very painful... I don't want that to happen, but we have to reach an agreement." The US president expressed his hope that the current pressure would yield tangible results in the coming period, noting that the diplomatic option remains available, but under specific conditions that guarantee regional security.
Trump added that moving to "phase two" if negotiations fail would be extremely difficult for Iran, implicitly referring to tightening economic sanctions or resorting to possible military options.
Context of the tension: Maximum pressure policy
These statements come in the context of the “maximum pressure” strategy adopted by the US administration since its unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action). Washington believes that the previous agreement was not sufficient to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon in the long term, and that it did not address Iran’s ballistic missile program or its regional influence.
This withdrawal and the reimposition of crippling economic sanctions have led to a sharp deterioration in the Iranian economy, further escalating tensions in the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as the United States seeks to force Tehran to the negotiating table under new conditions.
Brandishing the military option and coordinating with allies
The US president did not rule out military options, alluding to the formidable US military capabilities in the region, including the possibility of deploying additional aircraft carriers to the Middle East as a deterrent. This show of force comes in close coordination with regional allies, most notably Israel, which considers the Iranian nuclear program an existential threat.
Observers believe that Trump's talk of "pain" extends beyond potential military strikes on nuclear facilities to include complete diplomatic and economic isolation that could lead to internal unrest in Iran. The region remains on tenterhooks, awaiting developments in the coming weeks to see whether diplomacy will succeed in defusing the crisis or whether matters will escalate into open conflict.
