U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Washington is engaged in "very deep talks" with Iran but warned that the window for diplomacy is rapidly closing, saying the United States is prepared to take "strong military action" if negotiations collapse.
"Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all," Trump told Axios when asked how long he was willing to give for talks.
"If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," Trump told Israeli broadcaster Channel 12. He emphasized that the diplomatic window is narrow, noting that the process must move forward rapidly "or not at all."
The U.S. president explained he paused strikes on Friday following appeals from regional mediators. "All of the people that deal with Iran asked me: 'Don't fire'," Trump claimed, asserting that there was "nothing gained, nothing lost by granting the request."
Trump's remarks come ahead of his scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. The two countries launched strikes on Iran in late February, citing threats and over its nuclear program.
