US President Donald Trump has once again taken an aggressive and confrontational stance against Iran, openly threatening military strikes and harsher sanctions if Tehran refuses to strike a deal with Washington.
In a phone interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump confirmed that American and Iranian officials had been in contact but refused to provide any details. Instead, he issued a hostile threat: “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing.”
He further warned that if negotiations failed, he would reinstate secondary sanctions similar to those imposed four years ago.
Trump’s rhetoric underscores the US administration’s continued reliance on intimidation and economic pressure, rather than pursuing a path of mutual respect and diplomatic resolution—an approach that has only deepened tensions in the region.
Trump’s remarks come as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday clarified that while Iran has explicitly rejected the possibility of direct negotiations with the United States, the option of indirect talks remains on the table.
“As we have stated before, Iran has never closed the channels of indirect communication. In its response, Iran reaffirmed that it does not avoid negotiations, but rather, it has just been the United States’ repeated violations of agreements and commitments that have created obstacles in this path.”
He stressed that if the US seeks to restore negotiations, it must first rebuild trust by rectifying past breaches, adding that it is the Americans’ approach that determines the continuation of the negotiation path.
MP/