President Donald Trump warned Iran on Wednesday that it should return to negotiations over its nuclear program or face the prospect of harsher U.S. military action. In a social media post, Trump urged Tehran to come to the table for an agreement that he said must include “no nuclear weapons,” and he added that time was running out.
Trump also threatened escalation, saying the next U.S. attack would be “far worse” than previous action and claiming another large naval deployment—an “armada”—was moving toward Iran. His warning highlighted how the White House is mixing calls for a deal with explicit military pressure, a posture that raises the risk of miscalculation as regional tensions remain elevated.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said earlier Wednesday that he had not been in contact with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days and that Iran was not requesting negotiations, according to Iranian state media. That statement suggests the two sides are not currently engaged in substantive talks, despite channels of communication that may exist through intermediaries.
The moment also revives a long-running diplomatic dispute: Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 multinational nuclear agreement during his first term, and efforts to rebuild or replace the deal have repeatedly stalled. The latest warnings indicate the administration is attempting to press Iran toward fresh terms, while emphasizing deterrence through visible military posture.
Whether the warnings translate into diplomacy or confrontation remains unclear. Trump’s message frames the choice as immediate—negotiate quickly, or risk another strike—while Iranian officials have criticized the idea of diplomacy conducted under threat. With both sides publicly hardening their positions, the next signals will likely come through back-channel mediation and regional partners seeking to prevent escalation.