Donald Trump: "We Are in Talks With Iran, but If No Deal Is Reached, We Will Take Immediate Military Action"

[Financial News] Donald Trump, President of the United States, has raised the pressure on Iran, saying he could move to immediate military action if negotiations with Tehran collapse.
Speaking in the Oval Office at The White House on the 24th local time, Trump told reporters asking about an exit strategy for the war in Iran, "There are two paths: a military exit strategy and a smarter strategy through a deal."
He added, "One option is to continue the ongoing airstrikes, and if we want, we can escalate them much further," stressing, "We are ready to launch and prepared to act immediately."
Trump also mentioned the possibility of a large-scale attack on Iran in an interview with Axios the previous day. At the time, he said he was "just before deciding whether to attack" and that "all preparations have been completed."
The New York Times reported that Trump held a meeting with his key aides on the day to discuss whether to expand attacks on Iran.
Still, Trump left open the possibility of talks with Iran. He said, "We will see what comes out of the talks," adding, "This is the most serious Iran has looked so far, at least as far as we have seen."
He went on to say, "Iran clearly wants a deal," but added, "I do not think it is ready to make one yet."
Asked about his social media post saying China and Russia would not sell weapons to Iran, Trump said, "I do not think Chinese President Xi Jinping or Russian President Vladimir Putin would want to disappoint me."
Earlier, he claimed on Truth Social that "President Xi said during a meeting in Beijing in May that under no circumstances would he provide or sell weapons to Iran."
He also said Putin told him that, despite the horrific war in Ukraine, Russia would not sell weapons to Iran.
Trump emphasized, "I do not think China and Russia, the two major countries often mentioned in connection with the Iran issue, are currently involved in this matter."
He warned, "If they do get involved, they will face very bad consequences," adding, "It would not serve their interests at all."
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