Amid growing concerns about large-scale military clashes in the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his commitment to diplomatically resolve the Iran nuclear negotiations on the 12th (local time).
On that day, Trump stated on Truth Social, “I will continue my promise to resolve the Iran nuclear issue through diplomatic resolution.”
He noted, “Iran can become a great country,” but presented a prerequisite by saying, “It must completely abandon its hopes of acquiring nuclear weapons.”
The U.S. and Iran have held five rounds of talks since April. The sixth round of negotiations is scheduled for the 15th in the mediation country of Oman.
The prospects for negotiations remain unclear. Iran is rejecting the U.S. demand for a complete abandonment of its uranium enrichment capabilities. Iran has consistently denied its intention to develop nuclear weapons and insists on its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.
As tensions escalate over Iran’s nuclear development, Israel has expressed its intention to use military force to attack Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated his willingness to attack in February, saying, “Israel is stronger than ever, and the Iranian terror axis is weaker than ever.”
Trump said at the White House that he does not want to say that a (Israeli attack on Iran) is imminent, but that the possibility is very high.
The U.S. has already taken emergency measures in preparation for rising tensions in the Middle East. It has begun withdrawing some staff from the U.S. embassy in Iraq and has allowed voluntary evacuations for U.S. military families in the region.
Trump emphasized, “There are many Americans in the region,” stating, “Something could happen soon, and we must ensure that missiles do not come flying into buildings without warning.”
He further explained, “The U.S. is very close to a very good agreement with Iran,” and added, “We do not want an Israeli invasion. Such actions could derail the agreement.”
President Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)) during his first term in 2018. Since then, he has strengthened sanctions against Iran unilaterally. Iran has resumed and expanded its nuclear program in response.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution on this day asserting that Iran violated its non-proliferation obligations. Iran strongly opposed this resolution, which was jointly submitted by the U.S., United Kingdom, France, and Germany.