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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 Tehran pay if it does not come to the negotiating table, but U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said they wouldn’t help any further American strikes on their Middle East neighbor.
Mr. Trump said he dispatched a larger fleet than the one he sent to Venezuela to enforce changes alongside the arrest this month of President Nicolas Maduro on narco-terrorism charges. The fleet in the Middle East 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 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 not acquire nuclear weapons.
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 people, who are fed up with the country’s economic conditions.
Mr. Trump threatened to strike Iran in support of the protesters but pulled back, saying Tehran called off mass executions of demonstrators.
However, human rights activists say the Iranian regime has killed more than 6,000 protesters.
The president said Iran needs to 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.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman confirmed Tuesday, after a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, that he would not allow his country’s airspace or territory to be used in any attack on Iran.
The crown prince called on Tehran and Washington to resolve their issues through diplomacy and said Saudi Arabia would respect Iran’s sovereignty.
The UAE made a similar declaration Monday. The UAE Foreign Ministry said it would not allow any of its territory to be used as a staging ground for “hostile military actions” against Iran and ruled out providing logistical support.
The closures mark a significant shift in Gulf policy. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have decades of security agreements with the U.S., host several military bases and frequently collaborate with Washington in counterterrorism operations in the region.
Both nations reportedly fear being dragged into a wider regional war that a U.S. military strike on Iran could initiate. Iran has signaled that any U.S. attack would be met with a comprehensive response and would likely include attacking U.S. bases in Gulf nations.
Earlier this month, several U.S. partners in the Middle East, including Egypt, Turkey and Israel, urged Washington to reconsider any plans to attack Iran. They said military action would spread far beyond the borders of the Islamic republic.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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