United States President Donald Trump has continued to threaten Iran with possible military strikes if Tehran does not meet his demands on issues ranging from nuclear enrichment to ballistic missiles.
In comments to Israeli Channel 12, published on Tuesday, Trump hinted at aggressive action if a deal with Iran is not reached.
"Either we make a deal, or we're going to have to do something very difficult," Trump told the media.
The comments come as Iran's security chief, Ali Larijani, meets with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said to discuss the results of talks between US and Iranian officials last week.
In recent weeks, Trump has touted a surge in US military forces in the region, sending a “massive armada” to nearby waters. That deployment includes the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
Channel 12 and the Axios news agency reported Tuesday that Trump is also considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
This military buildup has fueled fears of an imminent US attack on Iran. Critics fear that such an attack could destabilize the region.
Already, on Monday, the US has issued guidelines for American-flagged commercial vessels, warning them to stay "as far away as possible" from Iranian territorial waters.
Since January, Trump has increased US pressure on Iran, warning that his country's military is "equipped with weapons and ready to fight."
Trump has also compared Iran's situation to that of Venezuela, where a US military operation on January 3 resulted in the kidnapping and removal of ousted President Nicolas Maduro.
"As with Venezuela, the U.S. military is ready, willing, and able to swiftly accomplish its mission, with speed and force if necessary. We hope that Iran will 'Sit at the Table' soon and negotiate a fair and equitable deal," Trump wrote on social media on January 28.
Late last month, his administration issued three sweeping demands. They include a halt to Iran's uranium enrichment, a demand to sever ties with regional allies, and limits on the country's ballistic missile stockpile, a goal long sought by Israel.
During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015 deal that placed strict limits on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Now, Trump has resumed his "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran since taking office for a second term in January 2025.
This campaign has included harsh sanctions and pressure to dismantle Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran insists is only for civilian energy purposes.
Last June, Trump authorized a military strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities as part of a 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
Trump's renewed threats in January have coincided with a recent wave of anti-government protests in Iran.
The government in Tehran responded to these demonstrations with a violent crackdown that reportedly killed thousands of people, drawing widespread condemnation from human rights groups.
Reports have revealed that state security forces opened fire on crowds of protesters while the country was under internet blackout.
On January 2 — the day before his military operation in Venezuela — Trump threatened to intervene on behalf of the protesters and “come to their aid,” though he ultimately refused to do so.
Some analysts have pointed out that the proposed attacks on Iran would do little to help the protesters, but would align with early US and Israeli goals to reduce Iran's military capacity.
The Iranian government has argued that the protests involved violent targeting of security forces by armed groups, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of officers. It has also accused external powers such as the United States and Israel of supporting the anti-government demonstrations.
Details about the protests and their repression remain difficult to verify, but Iranian officials have acknowledged that the government's response killed thousands of people.
