Trump Says Iran Ready for Nuclear Deal, Warns of Fresh Strikes if Talks Collapse

Washington, July 2026 : US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is eager to reach a nuclear agreement with the United States and has effectively accepted that it cannot possess nuclear weapons, while warning that Washington is prepared to resume military action if negotiations fail.

Speaking during a virtual campaign rally for Republican Congressman Andy Ogles and later in an interview with Fox News, Trump struck an optimistic note about the ongoing diplomatic engagement with Tehran but coupled it with a stern warning of military consequences should talks break down.

Addressing supporters in Tennessee, Trump asserted that recent American military actions had placed significant pressure on Iran and pushed its leadership towards negotiations.

“They will never have a nuclear weapon, and they understand it,” Trump said. “We’ve hit them very hard, and now they want to make a deal so badly.”

The President said recent discussions between American and Iranian officials had been constructive, dismissing claims from Tehran that nuclear issues were not part of the negotiations.

“For some reason, we can be in the middle of productive discussions, and then they come out saying nuclear matters were never discussed,” Trump remarked during the Fox News interview. “That is exactly what we discussed because they understand they will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump maintained that Iran has, in principle, accepted Washington’s core demand but has yet to make its commitment official.

“I want one very simple thing—they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “They have essentially agreed to that. Now we need them to formalise it.”

While expressing a preference for diplomacy, Trump warned that the United States would not hesitate to launch another round of military strikes if Tehran refused to conclude an agreement.

“If they don’t make a deal, then I go back and finish the job,” he declared.

The President specifically referred to Pickax Mountain, an underground site where Iran is reportedly carrying out construction and fortification work linked to its nuclear infrastructure.

“We destroyed their nuclear sites, and if there is no agreement, we will take out Pickax as well,” Trump said. “It can be done very easily.”

Trump also claimed that the United States currently exercises effective control over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes. According to him, only vessels approved by Washington are being allowed to pass.

“The only ships getting through are the ones we want to get through,” he said. “Our blockade is so powerful that nobody can pass without our approval.”

He added that the United States had briefly eased its maritime restrictions after reaching what he described as the outlines of an agreement with Iran but reinstated the blockade after Tehran allegedly failed to honour its commitments.

The latest remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following recent military confrontations and renewed diplomatic efforts. Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement during his first term in office, arguing that the deal failed to permanently prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

His latest comments indicate that while the administration remains open to a negotiated settlement, it is prepared to combine diplomacy with sustained military pressure to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear programme.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)