U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to strike a deal within 10-15 days or face "really bad things," after Geneva talks this week ended without a breakthrough despite claims of progress. The comment comes amid a buildup of military from both sides in the region.
He made the comment at the first Board of Peace gathering in Washington on Thursday (19 February).
Trump said Iran’s nuclear potential had been "decimated" referring to last June's attacks, and added, "We may have to take it a step further or we may not. You’ll be finding out over the next probably 10 days."
Later, aboard Air Force One, he said: "I would think that would be enough time, 10, 15 days, pretty much maximum."
In a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, Iran said it would not initiate hostilities but warned that "in the event that it is subjected to military aggression, Iran will respond decisively and proportionately."
The correspondence said "all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets."
Iranian and U.S. negotiators met in Geneva on Tuesday where Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said both sides agreed on "guiding principles," while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said key differences remained.
Trump said "good talks are being had," and a senior U.S. official said Iran would submit a written proposal addressing American concerns.
"They can't have a nuclear weapon, it's very simple," Trump said. "You can't have peace in the Middle East if they have a nuclear weapon."
Iran maintains its programme is for peaceful purposes. The U.S. and Israel have previously accused Tehran of seeking a weapons capability.
Russia on Thursday urged restraint, warning of an "unprecedented escalation of tension" as the U.S. deployment of additional forces continued.
Iran’s joint naval exercise with Russia followed extended Iranian drills in the Gulf of Oman, with state television showing special forces operating from helicopters and ships.
A senior American official said the buildup of U.S. military should be completed by mid-March.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 28 February to discuss the nuclear file.
Washington wants Iran to halt uranium enrichment, give up long-range missiles, stop supporting armed groups in the region and end the use of force against internal unrest. Iran refuses to negotiate beyond the atomic issue and describes its missile programme as non-negotiable.
It's after the United States and Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military facilities last June in a 12-day war.
Meanwhile Poland has advised its citizens on Thursday to leave Iran, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying they "may only have hours" to depart due to rising tension, according to local media reports.
Trump renewed his warnings in January as Iranian authorities suppressed widespread protests, drawing fresh criticism from Western governments.
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Iran’s Assembly of Experts has backed withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and overhauling the country’s defence doctrine, calling both steps essential to national security and deterrence.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lifted a nationwide ground stop on Friday (13 November) after a communications failure at air traffic control centres caused chaos at airports and triggered the longest nationwide shutdown since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
More than 30 people have been taken to hospital after a cargo ship collided with a passenger cruise docked on the Mississippi River in New Orleans on Friday (13 November).
Europe will send a team of diplomats to Ukraine peace talks rather than a single envoy, EU leaders agreed on Friday at the end of a summit in Dublin.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted two Houthi ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh and three drones in its oil-rich Eastern Province on Sunday (15 November), as Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed separate attacks on a U.S. military facility in Bahrain.
SpaceX's spacecraft on Saturday returned from a 22-hour voyage in orbit and descended for the first time into the grasp of giant mechanical arms at the Texas tower it was launched from a day earlier, a catch that is essential to the company's decade-long effort to develop a fully reusable rocket.
The Philippines and Australia signed a new defence cooperation arrangement in Manila on Sunday, aimed at accelerating joint military activities and strengthening security ties amid tensions with China in the South China Sea.
Southeast Asian leaders opened the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila Sunday, with Myanmar's crisis, security and economic uncertainty dominating talks. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for continued engagement with Myanmar and urged a stronger response to conflict and energy disruptions.
U.S. air travel is not expected to return to normal schedules until late on Sunday (15 November), the head of the FAA said, as the aviation system gradually recovers from a nationwide flight shutdown that officials blamed on routine maintenance gone awry.
Irish army bomb disposal experts safely neutralised an explosive device discovered in central Dublin on Friday (13 November), close to where European leaders gathered for dinner the previous evening during a two-day summit. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
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