In radical escalation of brinkmanship, U.S. President Donald Trump warned the Iranian leadership Wednesday that “time is running out” to negotiate a new nuclear deal. Using the strategy of a massive naval strike group, the President indicated that any future military action would be far more intense than the previously conducted U.S. operations.
The “Massive Armada” and Ultimatum
President Trump reported on social media that this was confirmed, stating that, at present, a naval force headed up by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is moving towards that area. He called the fleet “a ‘massive armada,’ bigger than those used in past high-stakes standoffs. Trump wrote, “hopefully Iran will just ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS one that’s good for all sides. The next attack will be far worse! Don't make that happen again.” The President specifically mentioned “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the June 2025 US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, warning that refusing to negotiate would result in a much more severe “preemptive” phase.
Tehran’s “Fingers on the Trigger”
Iran’s move was quick and defiant. Iran remains open to a "mutually beneficial" deal on equal terms, but will not "negotiate under coercion, threats and intimidation," foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has said. The tone from Iran’s military officers was even sharper. Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also cautioned that a limited strike is an “illusion” and that any U.S. aggression would prompt an “immediate, all-out, and unprecedented” reaction.
- Targeting Allies: Shamkhani threatened in no uncertain terms that retaliation would be at the “heart of Tel Aviv” and any regional allies of the U.S. military.
- Statement from Iran's mission to the UN: Iran expressed itself equally: that "if pushed, (it) would defend itself and respond like never before."
Domestic Unrest
The surge in military posturing comes as Iran struggles to come to terms with the fallout from brutal crackdowns on domestic anti-government protests. But while Trump’s rhetoric in the past few days has moved toward the nuclear file, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate that the Iranian regime is at its “weakest point ever” as a result of economic collapse and national instability. International analysts, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have recommended that the regime’s “days are numbered,” although Turkish and Qatari mediators have also continued to urge both sides to return to the diplomatic table so they will not face a full-blown regional war.
