U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening military action and secondary tariffs if Tehran fails to reach a new nuclear agreement with Washington. Speaking to NBC News on Sunday, Trump stressed that the U.S. is prepared to use force if diplomacy fails.
“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing—the likes of which they have never seen before,” Trump declared during a telephone interview. He also hinted at imposing secondary tariffs on Iran, similar to measures taken four years ago.
The warning comes after Iran rejected direct negotiations with the U.S. last week. Trump revealed that indirect talks are ongoing but provided no additional details.
Iran’s foreign minister, speaking on Thursday, confirmed that Tehran had responded to a letter from Trump delivered via Oman, reiterating its refusal to engage in direct negotiations while facing the U.S.’s “maximum pressure campaign” and military threats.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed this stance on Sunday, stating, “Direct negotiations with the U.S. have been rejected, but Iran has always been involved in indirect negotiations, and now too, the Supreme Leader has emphasized that indirect negotiations can still continue.”
In the same interview, Trump warned of potential secondary tariffs targeting both Iran and Russia. These tariffs would penalize international buyers of goods from sanctioned nations, similar to recent tariffs on purchasers of Venezuelan oil.
Trump did not provide specifics on how or when these tariffs might be enacted.
Tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been mounting since Trump withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during his first term, reimposing sweeping sanctions on Iran. The deal had imposed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for economic relief.
In response to the U.S. withdrawal, Iran ramped up its uranium enrichment, exceeding the limits set by the JCPOA. Western powers accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons capability, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is solely for civilian energy purposes.
Trump’s renewed threats mark the latest escalation in a long-standing standoff over Iran’s nuclear activities. Tehran has so far rebuffed pressure to negotiate a new deal, and indirect talks remain deadlocked.
The international community remains deeply concerned that the confrontation could spiral into a broader conflict, jeopardizing regional stability. With military action looming, the coming weeks could be critical in determining whether diplomacy can prevail.
