Trump Warns Iran As US Military Build-Up Intensifies Amid Nuclear Tensions

Donald Trump has warned Iran that “time is running out” for negotiations over its nuclear programme, as the United States continues a steady build-up of military forces in the Gulf.

The US president said a “massive Armada” was “moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose” towards Iran, referring to a large American naval deployment.

Iran reacted sharply. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country’s armed forces were ready “with their fingers on the trigger” to “immediately and powerfully respond” to any aggression by land or sea.

Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and has repeatedly rejected accusations by the US and its allies that it is seeking nuclear weapons.

Trump’s warning comes after he said Washington would intervene to help those affected by a brutal and unprecedented crackdown on protests earlier this month. The demonstrations began following a sharp fall in the value of Iran’s currency, but quickly escalated into a wider crisis of legitimacy for the country’s clerical leadership.

“Help is on the way,” Trump said, before later tempering his remarks and stating that he had been told “on good authority” that executions of demonstrators had stopped.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has confirmed the deaths of more than 6,301 people, including 5,925 protesters, since the unrest began in late December. HRANA says it is also examining reports of a further 17,000 deaths, received despite an internet shutdown lasting nearly three weeks.

Another organisation, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), has warned that the final death toll could exceed 25,000.

Despite the focus on unrest, Trump’s latest remarks appeared to centre primarily on Iran’s nuclear programme.

“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS,” he wrote on Truth Social.

He said the US naval force in the Gulf was larger than the one deployed to Venezuela before American forces seized the country’s former leader, Nicolás Maduro. Trump added that the fleet was “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary”.

Referring to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last June during Iran’s 12-day war with Israel, Trump warned: “The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran’s parliament, told CNN that Tehran was prepared to negotiate with the US, but only if talks were “genuine”. He said he did not believe this was “the kind of talk the president of the United States is after; he just wants to impose (his will on others)”.

“Maybe Mr Trump can start a war, but he doesn’t have control over (how it ends),” Ghalibaf added.

Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian “regime is probably weaker than it’s ever been”. He argued that Iran’s leaders had no solution to the protesters’ core grievance — economic collapse.

“What you’re seeing now is the ability to posture assets in the region to defend against what could be an Iranian threat against our personnel,” Rubio said.

Responding to Trump’s warning, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s position, saying: “Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL - on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation - which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”

“Such weapons have no place in our security calculations and we have NEVER sought to acquire them,” he added.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that no negotiations with Washington were currently under way, despite “exchanges of messages”.

(with BBC inputs)