Trump again threatens Iran with use of military force

United States President Donald Trump has again threatened to use military force if Iran does not agree to end its nuclear program and stressed that Israel would be the "leader" of any possible attack.

Trump told reporters Wednesday evening at the White House that, "if necessary," the United States would "absolutely" use military force.

He said this after being asked about talks between American and Iranian officials that will take place this weekend in Oman.

"We have time," Trump said, adding that there is no set deadline for concluding the US-Iran talks.

"When you start the talks, you know if they're going well or not. And I would say the end will come when I think they're not going well. So it's just a feeling," Trump said.

Trump announced the talks on April 8 during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu said he supports Trump's diplomatic efforts to reach a deal with Iran. He added that Israel and the United States share the same goal: to ensure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.

Trump said that, if the use of military force becomes necessary, "Israel will be pretty involved, of course."

Both sides have presented the meeting in Oman as an exploratory meeting to see if negotiations can take place. Trump said the talks would be "direct," while Iran has described them as "indirect."

Trump said the United States would not "ask for much" in these talks, reiterating his well-known stance that Iran "cannot have nuclear weapons."

The United States is increasingly concerned as Tehran appears closer than ever to possessing a nuclear weapon. Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

In 2015, the United States and other world powers reached a comprehensive nuclear deal that limited Iran's uranium enrichment in exchange for easing economic sanctions.

But Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the agreement in 2018, calling it "the worst deal ever."

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed hope that US-Iran talks could end peacefully, after Reuters reported on April 9 that up to six B-2 bombers had been moved to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia.

When asked if the B-2 bombers were a message to Iran, Hegseth said: "Let them decide."

He described the bombers as "great assets", telling reporters during a visit to Panama that they send "a message to everyone".

The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed new sanctions targeting Iran's nuclear program. Five entities and one person based in Iran were hit with new sanctions related to their suspected support for Iran's nuclear program, the department said.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the Iranian people "are extraordinary," but the government is a "tough regime."

"I want Iran to be great," Trump said. "The only thing they can't have is a nuclear weapon. They understand that."/ REL