JAKARTA - President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was engaged in "very serious talks" with Iran, but warned the window for diplomacy was narrowing and was ready to take "strong military action" if negotiations failed.
"There's not much time. It's either going fast or not at all," President Trump told Axios when asked how long he was willing to give for talks, as reported by Daily Sabah (28/7).
He stressed that the diplomatic window was narrow, noting that the process must move forward quickly "or not at all."
"If that doesn't work, we will go back to very strong military action," President Trump told Israeli television station Channel 12.
The US President explained that he stopped the attack on Friday after a request from a regional mediator.
"Everyone who deals with Iran asks me: 'Don't shoot'," Trump claimed, stressing "nothing is gained, nothing is lost by granting the request."
Trump's statement came ahead of his scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran in late February on the grounds of threats and its nuclear program.
"I'll talk to Bibi about the fact that if I wasn't president, Iran would have nuclear weapons right now and Israel would be destroyed," Trump said.
President Trump's statement came after the suspension of US strikes following two weeks of sustained bombing, as well as US media reports that senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, urged the president to avoid a major escalation on the grounds of ammunition supplies and potential consequences.
President Trump brushed off concerns about dwindling ammunition supplies, telling The Wall Street Journal the United States has "far more ammunition than anybody in the world, and far more than we need."
Separately, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said on Sunday, President Trump gave "space" for diplomatic discussions with Iran, and that negotiations were underway at "every level."
Previously, Pakistan was a mediator for a ceasefire in April, before a memorandum of understanding was signed between Tehran and Washington in June to allow for further negotiations and a permanent end to the war.
However, tensions escalated again earlier this month over disagreements about navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran effectively blocked during the conflict.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
Popular
