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Trump Threatens Iran as Tensions Escalate
President Trump escalated pressure on Iran by threatening swift military action as U.S. forces moved into the region, while Tehran rejected Washington’s demands and warned of forceful retaliation.
POTUS and VPOTUS participate in a welcome ceremony for SD Esper
President Donald Trump sharply intensified his threats against Iran on Wednesday, warning that the United States could carry out a rapid and violent military attack if Tehran fails to agree to a set of demands put forward by his administration, as U.S. naval and air forces moved into striking distance of the country.
The warning marked the prospect of a second direct U.S. attack on Iran in eight months and came as the aircraft carrier *Abraham Lincoln*, along with other naval vessels, bombers and fighter jets, took up positions in the region. Mr. Trump explicitly compared the buildup to the deployment near Venezuela late last year, shortly before an operation that led to the seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in January.
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Mr. Trump did not specify the terms of the deal he is seeking, saying only that a “massive Armada” was heading toward Iran and urging the country to make an agreement. U.S. and European officials said that in discussions with Iran, three core demands have been presented: a permanent end to uranium enrichment and the disposal of existing enriched uranium stockpiles; limits on the range and number of Iran’s ballistic missiles; and an end to support for proxy groups across the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
Notably absent from those demands, and from Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, was any reference to protecting Iranian protesters who took to the streets in December, triggering widespread unrest and a harsh crackdown. Mr. Trump had previously pledged to support the protesters but has rarely mentioned them in recent weeks.
Iranian authorities say 3,117 people were killed during the unrest, though human rights groups dispute that figure, estimating the death toll at between 3,400 and 6,200. They say the number could rise further once internet blackouts are lifted and more information becomes available.
U.S. officials say Mr. Trump has been emboldened by what he views as the success of the Venezuela operation and is using the threat of a similar strike to intimidate Iran’s clerical leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s most elite military force.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Trump appeared close to authorizing military action against Iran, suspending it only after receiving assurances that Tehran would not execute what he said were 800 detained protesters. Iranian officials rejected that claim, saying the figure was incorrect and that those arrested had not been tried or sentenced.
Those exchanges revealed what U.S. officials described as the fragility of Iran’s political system. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, reportedly had to seek permission to communicate with Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s special envoy, and ultimately conveyed assurances through a third party because he was barred from direct contact with the United States. An official involved in the talks later said Mr. Araghchi’s authority appeared heavily constrained amid internal power struggles between the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Revolutionary Guard and the presidency of Masoud Pezeshkian.
Speaking to reporters outside the foreign ministry in Tehran on Wednesday, Mr. Araghchi said Iran had not requested talks with the United States and that he and Mr. Witkoff had not been in contact in recent days. He said Iran had not yet decided whether to negotiate, though several countries were attempting to mediate between Tehran and Washington.
“Our position is that diplomacy cannot be effective and have results through military threats,” Mr. Araghchi said. He added that negotiations would require the United States to abandon threats and what he described as excessive and unrealistic demands, warning that a war between Iran and the United States would destabilize the entire Middle East.
A week earlier, Mr. Araghchi had warned that an all-out confrontation would be “messy, ferocious and drag on far longer” than anticipated, accusing the United States of pursuing hostile acts ranging from sanctions and cyberattacks to outright military strikes. On Wednesday, he said Iran’s armed forces were prepared to respond immediately and forcefully to any aggression against the country.
Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani, head of a newly created body overseeing Iran’s military operations, said in a social media post that any U.S. strikes on Iran would be considered an act of war and that Iran would respond by targeting Tel Aviv.
In Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that the U.S. military buildup around Iran was largely defensive, noting that tens of thousands of American troops in the region are within range of Iranian drones and ballistic missiles. He said increasing the U.S. presence was “wise and prudent,” but acknowledged that American forces could also act preemptively.
Mr. Rubio said he hoped the situation would not escalate into war but acknowledged uncertainty over what might follow if Iran’s regime were to fall. “No one knows who would take over,” he said.
Officials said negotiations have made no progress in the past week, with no indication that Iran is prepared to accept Mr. Trump’s demands. Each demand would further weaken Iran following a 12-day war with Israel in June that ended with U.S. airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordo and Isfahan.
Those facilities were central to Iran’s nuclear program, developed over more than 25 years. While Mr. Trump has repeatedly said the program was “obliterated,” the administration’s own national security strategy published in the fall said the strikes “significantly degraded” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The demand that Iran permanently abandon uranium enrichment and surrender its stockpiles would be difficult to monitor. Under the 2015 nuclear agreement with the Obama administration, Iran shipped out about 97 percent of its enriched uranium. Although Natanz and Fordo were heavily damaged in June and are unlikely to reopen, intelligence officials say enrichment could resume at small, hidden facilities. If Iran were able to recover uranium enriched to 60 percent purity that was buried during the attacks, it could produce fuel for several nuclear weapons, though U.S. and European intelligence agencies say there is no evidence that Iran has accessed that material.
Limiting Iran’s ballistic missile program would sharply reduce its ability to strike Israel, removing what analysts describe as its last major deterrent against renewed Israeli attacks. While no immediate Israeli strike appears imminent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of renewed action if Iran attempts to rearm.
The third demand, ending support for proxy forces, may be the easiest for Iran to meet, given its weakened economy, plunging currency and reduced capacity to fund allies who have suffered heavy losses from Israeli attacks. Still, Iranian officials have rejected Washington’s conditions. Mehdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on state television that the demands amounted to surrender.
“What Witkoff is saying would essentially be Iran surrendering,” he said. “This translates into disarming yourself so we could strike you when we want.”
Editor’s Note:
This report is based on official statements from the White House, U.S. and Iranian officials, and diplomatic and security sources, and reflects developments and assessments available at the time of publication.
