Washington could resort to other options if its demands are not met, the US president’s deputy national security adviser has warned
US President Donald Trump has allegedly set a two-month deadline for Iran to strike a new deal on its nuclear program with Washington, multiple US outlets including CNN and Axios have reported. Washington is also ready to resort to other measures should the “diplomatic” approach fail, US Deputy National Security Adviser Brian Hughes has also told media outlets.
During his first term at the White House, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), that facilitated dialogue around the Iranian nuclear program, and reimposed sanctions against Tehran.
Two weeks ago, Trump confirmed he had sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggesting that negotiations be reopened and specifying a two-month deadline.
The document was delivered by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff to United Arab Emirates President Mohammed Bin Zayed, who then handed it over to Iran, according to the reports. It is unclear if the deadline is tied to the moment the letter was delivered or to a potential start of negotiations.
“President Trump made it clear to Ayatollah Khamenei that he wanted to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program diplomatically – and very soon – and if this was not possible, there would be other ways to resolve the dispute,” Hughes told CNN and the New York Post.
Two weeks ago Trump told Fox News that “there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal.” According to the US media, Washington could potentially consider a strike against the Iranian nuclear facilities if its demand is rejected or if purported talks fail.
Earlier in March, Khamenei slammed US demands for nuclear talks as an attempt to “exert their dominance and impose what they want” instead of “solving issues.” He also rebuffed Trump’s threat to use force.
Following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the re-imposition of sanctions, Tehran also scaled down its compliance with the 2015 deal. In December 2024, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said that Iran was “dramatically” accelerating its uranium enrichment to up to 60% purity, calling this development “very concerning.” Uranium needs to have around 90% purity to be considered weapons-grade.
In March, Khamenei insisted that any accusations against Iran over its alleged failure to implement its part of the deal were “fundamentally flawed when divorced from the full context of the US withdrawal.” Tehran has also repeatedly denied having nuclear weapon ambitions, insisting that its program was entirely peaceful.
