President Trump says he’s “not happy” with Iran as he threatens the Islamic republic with a military strike if it does not satisfy U.S. demands to halt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Mr. Trump aired his frustrations after U.S. and Iranian negotiators met in Oman for another round of talks this week without reaching a deal.
“I’m not happy with the fact that they’re not willing to give us what we need to have, so I’m not thrilled with that. We’ll see what happens, we’re talking later,” Mr. Trump said Friday as he left the White House for a trip to Texas. “But no, I’m not happy with the way they’re going.”
The president wants to ensure that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. But Tehran maintains it should be able to enrich uranium for civil purposes and balked at the U.S. side’s push to rein in its missile program and support for proxy groups in the Middle East.
The Pentagon has built up a huge presence of warships and aircraft near Iran, raising the stakes around the negotiations.
Mr. Trump is considering strikes in the country if Iran does not make a deal, raising worries about reprisals against U.S. bases in the region or a wider war.
“There’s always a risk,” Mr. Trump told reporters.
However, he said strikes last year on Iranian personnel and assets “worked out,” and “we want to keep it that way.”
“It would be wonderful if they would negotiate in good conscience – really in good faith and good conscience,” he said. “But they are not getting there.”
Mr. Trump said he has not made a final decision about what to do next.
“They cannot have nuclear weapons, and we’re not thrilled with the way they’re negotiating,” he said. “So we’ll see how it all works out.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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