The United States said that if Iran rejects a nuclear deal, the president will pursue “other options” to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, a State Department spokesperson told Newsweek, doubling down on President Donald Trump‘s statements that the Islamic republic will be prevented from pursuing nuclear weapons.
Newsweek has reached out to the Iranian foreign ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The firmness of the U.S. position is a sign of the rising tensions amid a strategy of pressuring Tehran to curb any possible nuclear ambitions. President Donald Trump reinforced this stance while on a regional visit, signaling that diplomacy remains possible but uncertain of success.
What To Know
The State Department underlined a firm stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “The President has been clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” a department spokesperson said in an email to Newsweek.
Highlighting Trump’s openness to a nuclear deal with Iran, the spokesperson said the president would pursue “alternatives” if Tehran refuses, but declined to elaborate, citing “national interest.”
Trump has made the threat of military action against Iran should the negotiations fail. The American administration views Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, along with its rapid advancement of missile and weapons capabilities, as threatening to the security of the United States and its allies — including Israel.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slammed U.S. demands that Tehran end its uranium enrichment program, stating that he does not believe ongoing nuclear negotiations with the U.S. will yield results. Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes and that its enrichment program is a source of national pride and not negotiable.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran could follow existing models for a peaceful nuclear program but warned that once a country knows how to enrich uranium, it can eventually reach weapons-grade levels — and Iran is already enriching well beyond 60 percent.
“It is our view that they want enrichment as a deterrent they believe that it makes them a threshold nuclear power and as a result becomes untouchable,” Rubio told a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing Tuesday.
The U.S. and Iran has held four rounds of indirect talks with the US on meetings discussing a replacement for the 2015 deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump withdrew from in 2018.
What People Are Saying
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek: “The President has been clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He has expressed his willingness to pursue a deal with Iran. If the Iranian regime does not want a deal, the President is clear he will pursue alternatives.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “I hope there will be ongoing negotiations because the alternatives will be far worse, in my view, but maybe necessary, but we hope that we can reach an agreement with Iran.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as quoted by Mehr News Agency: “What we are currently witnessing are completely irrational and illogical positions from the Americans, which have been made public in recent days. These positions have been met with Iran’s immediate response. Uranium enrichment is not a negotiable issue from our perspective. I have already given a clear response over the past few days, and today, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has also made the position absolutely clear.”
What Happens Next
Talks with Iranian officials continue, though major hurdles persist. If those fail, then it increases the chance of military action.
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