US president has upped rhetoric as Iran maintains it will push forward with nuclear programme after US strikes.
United States President Donald Trump has re-upped threats against Iran, just weeks after launching military strikes on three of the country’s nuclear facilities.
The statement on Monday was in response to Tehran’s position that it will continue to pursue nuclear enrichment for civilian purposes, a red line for the Trump administration in earlier talks this year that fell apart when Israel launched a military offensive against Tehran in June.
Speaking during a news conference in Scotland beside the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said that Iran was “sending very bad signals, very nasty signals”.
“And they shouldn’t be doing that,” he said. “We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it.”
“We will do that gladly, openly and gladly,” he said.
The statement comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi most recently asserted Iran’s right to enrich uranium ahead of talks with the UK, France and Germany last week.
Iranian officials described the talks, the first serious flurry of diplomacy since the US attacks and subsequent end to the escalation with Israel, as “serious, frank and detailed”, but no breakthroughs were announced.
Following Trump’s statement on Monday, Araghchi said Iran will “never respond to the language of threat and intimidation”, while again reiterating that Iran needs uranium enrichment for medical and civilian purposes.
He added that Iran “will not hesitate to react in a more decisive manner” if it is again attacked.
Speaking to media last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said that Iran would not abandon its nuclear programme, but remained open to negotiations.
He added he was “not very optimistic” about the ceasefire that ended the 12-day war with Iran holding.
Israeli officials have signalled a willingness to restart attacks on Iran, including strikes aimed at toppling the country’s leadership.
On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he wanted to send a message to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“If you continue to threaten Israel, our long arm will reach Tehran again with even greater power – and this time personally to you, too,” he said, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
Analysts have said US approval would be all but required for any Israeli resumption of attacks on Iran.
Trump had initially hailed the June 22 US attacks on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan as having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, more recent intelligence reports have indicated the damage may have been less severe, setting the programme back by a shorter timeline.
Over the weekend, Trump called Iran’s persistence in pursuing its nuclear programme “stupid”.
During his first term, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a deal reached between Iran, the US and several European powers that saw Tehran curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
In turn, Iran began enriching uranium beyond the limits set out in the agreement, but has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon.
Upon taking office in January, Trump initially sought a new nuclear deal with Iran, but soon adopted a zero enrichment policy long dismissed by Iranian negotiators as a non-starter.
Speaking on Friday, Trump also accused Iran of intervening in the latest round of talks aimed at ending Israel’s war in Gaza, which fell apart last week with both the Israeli and US delegations leaving negotiations in Qatar.
“I think they got involved in this negotiation, telling Hamas and giving Hamas signals and orders,” Trump said, without providing further details on the claim.
Iran did not immediately respond to Trump’s most recent comments.
