US President Donald Trump called for Iran to either negotiate with the US or face potential attack, as US warships — led by an aircraft carrier — advance into West Asia.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. If not, he said, US troops were prepared to fulfil their mission with the same “speed and violence” deployed against the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran over its crackdown on recent protests against the country’s authoritarian clerical rulers. In his social media post on Wednesday, he did not mention the demonstrations; instead, he said he wanted Iran to negotiate a “fair and equitable deal” on the country’s nuclear programme. The nuclear talks broke down last year, paving the way for a 12-day-war between Israel and Iran, as well as US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump again referred to the US force as an “armada” but provided no details. Last week, the President told reporters aboard Air Force One that the US was “watching Iran” and had “a big flotilla going in that direction”.
Two nations, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have signalled they won’t allow their airspace to be used for any attack. But earlier this month, the Pentagon deployed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to the region. Three Tomahawk-missile-firing destroyers in the South China Sea were also heading to West Asia, according to two US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.
The Air Force sent a dozen F-15E fighters to the region in the past week to strengthen strike aircraft numbers, according to the officials.
Iran responds
Iran responded defiantly to Trump’s demand from earlier this morning to “Come to the Table” or face possible military action. The Iranian mission to the United Nations said in its own social media post that Iran was “ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests”. But it added that “IF PUSHED,” Iran would “DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!”
New York Times News Service and AP
