‘We are in very deep talks,’ Trump says, warning the US will return to ‘very strong military action’ if diplomacy fails after he paused strikes at mediators’ requestU.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he paused military strikes against Iran to give diplomacy another chance but warned that Washington is prepared to resume large-scale military action if negotiations fail."We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," Trump told Axios in an interview published Monday.US President Donald Trump (Photo: AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)The comments come after the United States halted strikes against Iranian targets for the first time in nearly two weeks, while Iran also paused its retaliatory attacks, creating the first sustained lull in fighting since the latest escalation began.Trump said he agreed to suspend the strikes after mediators involved in the negotiations urged him to give diplomacy more time."All of the people that deal with Iran asked me: 'Don't fire,'" Trump said, adding that he believes Tehran wants to reach an agreement.Asked how long he is willing to wait for progress, Trump replied: "Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all."He described the decision as carrying little downside."Nothing gained, nothing lost," Trump said, noting that oil prices fell and stock markets rose after the United States paused its attacks.The current diplomatic effort centers on an interim agreement aimed at restoring safe commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy corridors, before broader negotiations resume on Iran's nuclear program.The talks are being led primarily by Oman, which has long served as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, with Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan also playing key roles. Trump's Middle East envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are participating in the diplomatic effort alongside regional mediators.Negotiators are seeking to stabilize maritime traffic after weeks of attacks on commercial shipping and military strikes around the strait. The longer-term goal is to revive negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, though major differences remain over Tehran's nuclear activities and security arrangements in the Gulf.Iran has publicly confirmed that indirect contacts through mediators are continuing, although Iranian officials have maintained that they are not currently seeking direct negotiations with Washington and insist they retain control over the Strait of Hormuz.Trump is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, with Iran expected to dominate the discussions."I am going to talk to Bibi about the fact that if I weren't president, Iran would have had nuclear weapons by now and Israel would have been destroyed," Trump told Axios, using the Israeli leader's nickname.Israeli officials have publicly backed renewed diplomatic efforts but have stressed that any agreement must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and permanently address the security threat posed by Tehran's nuclear and missile programs.