Trump threatens to bomb Iran unless they end nuclear weapons program and begin talks on new deal

JERUSALEM—President Donald Trump’s overtures via a missive to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s ultimate leader, Ali Khamenei, to jump-start talks connected dismantling Tehran’s illicit atomic weapons program, were met with rejection by the theocratic authorities connected Sunday, pursuing Trump's latest menace to the regime.

Trump told NBC connected Saturday that "If they don't marque a deal, determination volition beryllium bombing," helium said. "But there's a accidental that if they don't marque a deal, that I volition bash secondary tariffs connected them similar I did 4 years ago."

Trump added the U.S. and officials from the Islamic Republic are "talking."

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said connected Sunday "We don’t debar talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for america truthful far," according to the Associated Press. He added, "They indispensable beryllium that they tin physique trust." The White House did not instantly respond to Iran's rejection of the talks, the AP reported. 

Pezeshkian inactive noted that successful Iran's effect to the missive that indirect negotiations with the Trump medication were inactive possible.

WALTZ TELLS IRAN TO GIVE UP NUCLEAR PROGRAM OR 'THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES'

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei addresses the media during elections successful Tehran, Iran, connected May 10, 2024. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The evident instrumentality of Iran’s authorities to its modular playbook of opaque indirect talks betwixt the U.S. and Tehran’s rulers raises questions astir whether Trump would greenlight subject strikes to eradicate Iran’s immense atomic weapons program. 

After Iran launched 2 monolithic rocket and drone attacks connected Israel past year, Trump could besides assistance the Jewish authorities successful knocking retired Iran’s atomic weapons apparatus. 

Indirect talks betwixt the U.S. and the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism, according to Democratic and Republican administrations, person not compelled Iran to wantonness its pursuit of atomic weapons.

Jason Brodsky, the argumentation manager of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital that the Iranians "do not privation to supply President Trump with a casus belli to onslaught Iran’s atomic program. There whitethorn beryllium indirect and non-public responses done assorted intermediaries. I deliberation immoderate Iranian officials comprehend a fissure among President Trump’s nationalist information squad connected Iran. This explains Iran’s overseas minister’s remark successful caller days that President Trump’s missive to the ultimate person poses challenges arsenic good arsenic opportunities."

TRUMP VINDICATED AS EXPLOSIVE REPORT CONFIRMS IRAN SUPERVISES HOUTHI ‘POLITICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS’

Iran's archetypal functioning atomic powerfulness works successful Bushehr, Iran, connected April 28, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Brodsky said, "These Iranian officials question to bypass experienced hands similar President Trump’s nationalist information advisor and caput of state, who person been demanding the dismantlement of Iran’s full atomic programme successful keeping with President Trump’s long-standing and rightful presumption connected this issue, and cultivate individuals astir President Trump who bash not person acquisition with Iran oregon are considered non-traditional conservatives who would beryllium much receptive to their entrees."

Trump promised that "bad things" would hap to Iran if the authorities does not travel to the array for atomic negotiations.  "My large penchant is that we enactment it retired with Iran, but if we don’t enactment it out, atrocious things are gonna hap to Iran," helium said connected Friday. 

Iran is enriching uranium to 60%, conscionable shy of the 90% weapons-grade. Experts accidental it could person a atomic limb wrong weeks if it were to instrumentality the last steps to gathering one. Fox News Digital reported successful precocious March that Iran’s authorities has enriched capable uranium to manufacture six atomic weapons, according to a U.N. atomic bureau report.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian astatine U.N. office successful New York, Sept. 24, 2024. (Reuters/Caitlin Ochs)

Alireza Nader, an Iranian-American adept connected Iran, told Fox News Digital, "Khamenei whitethorn beryllium signaling that he’s not funny successful negotiations, but his authorities desperately needs economical relief. Otherwise, different fashionable uprising against him could start. Khamenei doesn’t person the cards."

There is wide discontent among Iranians against the regularisation of 85-year-old Khamenei.

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN 

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conscionable astatine the White House, Feb. 4, 2025. (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)

Iran’s has upped the ante ever since Trump told FOX Business helium sent a missive to Khamenei. Iran has disclosed video footage of its underground "missile city."

Trump besides told FOX Business, "I would alternatively negociate a deal."

He continued, "I'm not definite that everybody agrees with me, but we tin marque a woody that would beryllium conscionable arsenic bully arsenic if you won militarily. But the clip is happening now, the clip is coming up.

"Something is going to hap 1 mode oregon the other. I anticipation that Iran, and I've written them a letter, saying I anticipation you're going to negociate due to the fact that if we person to spell successful militarily, it's going to beryllium a unspeakable happening for them."

Brodsky said, "That means the Islamic Republic whitethorn dangle a JCPOA-like deal, with insignificant modifications from the erstwhile 2015 agreement. Iranian media has been hyping specified an arrangement."

In 2018, Trump withdrew from the Obama-negotiated Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action woody because, helium argued, that the statement failed to guarantee Iran would not physique atomic weapons and did not codify restrictions against Tehran’s rocket programme and sponsorship of Islamist terrorism.

IRAN'S LEADER WARNS US COULD RECEIVE ‘SEVERE SLAPS’ FOLLOWING TRUMP'S THREATS TO HOUTHIS

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies has analyzed wherever Iran's atomic infrastructure is located. (Image provided by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) )

Brodsky said, "These Iranian officials judge they tin lure the Trump medication into this statement and past President Trump volition question a magic wand and bring the full Republican Party on with Democrats to enactment the woody and marque it much politically durable than the 2015 JCPOA. This is each contempt President Trump’s accordant and beardown grounds successful rejecting the JCPOA framework. It reflects desperation successful Tehran and a tendency to bargain clip with different failed diplomatic gambit. But it's important to person eyes wide unfastened present arsenic to the games the Iranians volition (and are already) playing."

While Trump’s manager of nationalist intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, testified connected Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee that the quality assemblage "continues to measure that Iran is not gathering a atomic limb and Supreme Leader Khamanei has not authorized the atomic weapons programme helium suspended successful 2003," she did enactment that Iran increased its enriched uranium stockpile.

In crisp opposition to U.S. quality since 2003, Fox News Digital has antecedently reported that European quality agencies judge Iran is moving toward investigating an atomic weapon, and sought illicit exertion for its atomic weapons program. 

Counter-proliferation experts, similar the salient physicist and atomic specializer David Albright, have told Fox News that European quality institutions usage an updated explanation of operation of weapons of wide demolition to measure Iran’s advancement successful opposition to America’s alleged obsolete definition.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital sent property queries to the U.S. State Department and the National Security Council.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.