U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Iran is seeking to reach an agreement with the United States to avoid military action, as Washington increases military pressure in the region.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on January 29, Mr. Trump said the United States has deployed a large naval force toward Iran, describing it as an “armada” larger than the one used in a recent U.S. operation in Venezuela. He suggested the show of force was intended to push Tehran toward negotiations.
“We have a large armada, flotilla, call it whatever you want, heading toward Iran right now,” Mr. Trump said. “Hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we do make a deal, that’s good. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens.”
Mr. Trump confirmed that he has set a deadline for Iran to reach a deal covering its nuclear program, ballistic missile development, and other issues. However, he declined to specify the timeline, stating that “only they know for sure” what the deadline is.
The U.S. president said he believes Tehran is prepared to comply with American demands, pointing to what he described as Iran’s decision to halt executions of protesters following a crackdown on demonstrations. Human rights groups have previously reported that more than 6,000 people were killed during the unrest.
“I can say this, they do want to make a deal,” Mr. Trump said, citing these actions as evidence that Iran is responding to pressure.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have remained high amid longstanding disputes over Iran’s nuclear activities, missile program, and regional influence. Washington has repeatedly warned that it will not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons, while Iran has accused the U.S. of using military threats to force concessions.
Mr. Trump declined to comment on whether the United States would carry out a military operation against Iran if negotiations fail. When asked whether a scenario similar to the recent Venezuela operation in which U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro could be repeated, he said he did not want to discuss military plans.
“I don’t want to talk about anything having to do with what I’m doing militarily,” Mr. Trump said.
The comments reflect a strategy that combines diplomatic pressure with visible military deployments. U.S. officials have previously described such moves as deterrence aimed at preventing escalation while encouraging negotiations.
Iranian authorities have not publicly responded to Mr. Trump’s latest remarks. In past statements, Tehran has said it will not negotiate under military threats and has warned it would respond to any attack.
The situation remains uncertain, with both sides maintaining firm positions. While Mr. Trump has expressed confidence that a deal is possible, the lack of publicly confirmed talks and the continued military buildup suggest that tensions could persist in the coming weeks.