Trump Says U.S. Will Seek Nuclear Deal With Iran or Resume Military Strikes

President Donald Trump said the United States will resume military operations against Iran if current diplomatic efforts fail to produce a comprehensive nuclear agreement. ” The president described the military option as the easier path. “I’m going to do it either through negotiation or I’m going to blow the hell out of them, to be honest with you.

That’s actually the easier path,” he said. He added that Washington is “very close to a deal” with Iranian leadership. Trump set a clear threshold for renewed strikes. “My red line would be if I think I wasn’t going to make a deal, or if I wasn’t going to make a deal fast enough,” he said.

He also stated that any agreement must bar Iran from developing, purchasing, or acquiring nuclear material and that sanctions relief would follow, not precede, compliance. The interview aired on the 100th day of the conflict that began February 28, 2026.

U.S. positions in Iraq and Syria. Iran responded by firing ballistic missiles at American bases and mobilizing naval forces near the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Cyber Command disrupted Iranian radar and missile-tracking networks.

U.S. Destroyers intercepted Iranian fast-attack boats. U.S. conducted its largest wave of airstrikes of the war.

U.S. troops reinforced regional air defenses. A fragile ceasefire brokered by Pakistan took effect in mid-May. U.S. naval blockade has been in place for 56 days.

U.S. has been engaged for about three months and that 13 Americans have died in the conflict. Al Jazeera reported that more than 7,000 people have died across Jordan, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Qatar.

U.S. ” He described current Iranian counterparts as “more rational” than previous regimes and said sanctions relief would begin only after compliance. “If they behave, if they do a good job, we start talking,” he said.

Tehran maintains it has an “inalienable” right to nuclear technology and insists its program is peaceful. Trump reiterated that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. “Either we’re going to have something done fairly quickly, or we’ll finish it out militarily,” he said.