– The Washington Times
President Trump told Iran on Wednesday that “time is running out” to make a deal on its nuclear ambitions and that a U.S. armada is ready to make the Islamic republic pay if it does not come to the table.
Mr. Trump said he dispatched a larger fleet than the one he sent to Venezuela to enforce changes in the South American country alongside the capture of President Nicolas Maduro on narco-terrorism charges. The fleet is led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
“Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”
Mr. Trump said the next attack would be “far worse” than his Operation Midnight Hammer in June, when the U.S. military struck major Iranian nuclear sites.
The president has been talking tough about Tehran throughout his term. He did not lay out the contours of a possible deal in his post, beyond his insistence that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.
However, his administration has pushed for the removal of highly enriched uranium from Iran; free access to surprise inspections of Iran’s facilities; limits on Iran’s long-range ballistic missile program; and the end of Tehran’s proxy support for militant groups such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Tehran has been grappling with major protests among its own people, who are fed up with economic conditions.
Mr. Trump threatened to strike Iran in support of the protesters but pulled back, saying the Islamic Republic called off mass executions of demonstrators.
Still, the president said Iran better come to the table over its nuclear program soon.
“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran,” Mr. Trump wrote. “The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
