WEBDESK: Tensions in the Middle East are rising as Iran issued a serious warning to the United States amid failing nuclear negotiations, on Wednesday. Tehran warned it would target American military bases in the region should conflict erupt. President Donald Trump expressed dwindling confidence in the possibility of reviving a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic.
Speaking ahead of a key round of nuclear talks in Oman, Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said that Iran would respond with force if provoked.
“Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us, all US bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries,” Nasirzadeh told reporters, according to a report by Reuters.
This latest threat comes just days after Iran tested a powerful new missile capable of carrying a two-ton warhead.
Trump’s comments on the nuclear deal
In a podcast interview released on Wednesday, President Trump said he was “less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago” about securing a deal. He accused Tehran of shifting its posture in recent weeks, suggesting the possibility of reaching an agreement was fading.
“I don’t think I see the same level of enthusiasm for them to make a deal,” Trump said on Pod Force One. While reaffirming the US position to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, the US president also voiced a preference for a diplomatic solution. “It would be nicer to do it without warfare, without people dying,” he said.
American authorities have started evacuating non-essential embassy staff and military families from bases in Iraq and other Gulf countries. The U.S. State Department cited growing security concerns as the reason for the move.
President Trump has also made it clear that military action remains an option if Iran does not agree to new terms on its nuclear program. In response, Iran has stated that it will never accept foreign interference in its national defense policies.
This is not the first time Iran has clashed with the U.S. over nuclear issues. The original 2015 deal – known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – was signed to limit Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for easing economic sanctions. However, the agreement began to fall apart after the U.S. withdrew in 2018, and tensions have increased ever since.
Russia offers to mediate tensions between Iran, US
Russia has meanwhile stepped in, offering to mediate. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow could assist by facilitating the removal of Iranian nuclear material and converting it into civilian reactor fuel.
He urged all sides to refrain from escalatory moves and work towards a negotiated outcome.
