US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, ahead of his State of the Union address, that Iran wants to make a deal with the United States but refuses to state that it will give up its intentions to develop nuclear weapons.
Trump made the comments during a meeting with TV anchors from a number of networks at the White House to preview his speech.
“Iran wants to make a deal more than I do, but they just can't say the sacred phrase, we won’t build nuclear weapons," the President told the anchors, as quoted in The Hill.
On Monday, Trump rejected reports that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, had warned him against going through with a strike on Iran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also denied reports that he was considering limited strikes on Iran, and warned the Islamic Republic once again that if it does not make a deal, “it will be a very bad day" for them.
Meanwhile, Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, warned of broader consequences if his country is attacked.
“We call upon all nations committed to peace and justice to take meaningful steps to prevent further escalation," Gharibabadi said during a speech at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
He emphasized that any aggression would have repercussions beyond the borders of the country targeted, warning that those who initiate or support such actions would bear responsibility.