Politics

Donald Trump stated that he has informed Iran it needs to do “two things” to avoid military action as the US increases its military presence in the Gulf. He said, “Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters,” noting that “they are killing them by the thousands.” Trump mentioned, “We have many big, powerful ships heading to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.” These comments come after weeks of urging Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear program. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that their armed forces are prepared “with their fingers on the trigger” to respond swiftly and strongly to any aggression. Trump made these statements during the premiere of a documentary about his wife, Melania. Earlier this week, he posted on Truth Social: “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.” He warned that a “massive Armada is heading to Iran,” and it is "ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.” In response, Araghchi stated: “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.”