WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Monday that he decided to pause US strikes on Iran in order to give negotiations another chance, while warning that he could order a restart of strikes if talks with Iran 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 said in an interview with US online news outlet Axios.
Asked how long he was willing to give diplomacy, he said, "Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all."
Trump said he decided to pause strikes on Friday because the countries that are mediating as well as other countries in the region had asked him to give talks with Iran another chance.
Later, the president told reporters that Iran sought talks only after its military was battered by the US military.
