President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on Monday, declaring that the United States will either secure a diplomatic agreement with Tehran or “finish the job,” prompting a swift and defiant response from senior Iranian officials as negotiations over a permanent agreement continue.

“We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to finish the job. OK. And it won’t be tough to finish the job. I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

He highlighted the military capabilities of the United States while emphasizing that Washington has not provided financial assistance to Tehran. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply…they don’t have any money now. We haven’t given them any money,” he added.

Trump on Iran:

We're either going to make a deal, or we're going to finish the job, okay? And it won't be tough to finish the job.

I'd rather make a deal because I don't want to affect 91 million people. We can knock down their bridges in one hour.

We can knock out their… pic.twitter.com/FkyQ8piifO

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 6, 2026

Iran quickly pushed back against Trump’s remarks. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that Tehran would answer forcefully if the American president continued using what he described as disrespectful rhetoric toward the Iranian people.

“I say to the delusional president of the United States, who today threatened 91 million Iranians: Speak to the Iranian people with respect, or we will respond to you in another language,” Zolghadr said.

He also argued that similar threats by Trump in the past had failed to intimidate Iran’s “several-thousand-year-old civilization,” asserting that the outcome for the United States had instead been “defeat, desperation and requests for negotiations and a ceasefire.”

The sharp exchange comes as Washington and Tehran remain engaged in diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a lasting agreement following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.

Those negotiations have unfolded against the backdrop of renewed military friction. In recent weeks, the United States carried out two strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz after accusing Tehran of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Following those operations, Trump cautioned that if Iran continued breaching the ceasefire, the United States could be compelled to “militarily complete the job.”

Meanwhile, Al Arabiya reported on Sunday that negotiators from both sides are expected to reconvene in Pakistan on July 11 to continue discussions on a permanent ceasefire.

According to the report, the upcoming talks are also expected to address Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic, and the status of frozen assets belonging to the IRGC.