Trump in nuclear standoff with Iran as regime warns it has 'finger on the trigger' with US armada approaching
The US President warned of 'major destruction' if Iran fails to end its nuclear programme
Donald Trump has issued a nuclear ultimatum to the Iranian regime as the President warned that the nation must halt its weapons programme or face "major destruction" from a US armada.
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Mr Trump made the claims in his latest Truth Social post, where he also warned that "time is running out" for the Tehran dictatorship to stop pursuing nuclear weaponry.
Describing the US fleet in the Gulf, Trump said: "Like with Venezuela, it is ready, willing and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary."
The President called on Iran's ruling Mullahs to come to the table and negotiate a "fair and equitable deal" that would stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
He added that the next attack on Iran will be "far worse" than June strikes, which targeted three of the country's uranium enrichment facilities.
In response, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a warning to the US by saying it has its "finger on the trigger" should the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attack the Middle Eastern nation.
Taking to social media, he said the country has learnt “valuable lessons” from the June strikes but added hopes remain of a "mutually beneficial, fair and equitable” deal with the United States.
It comes after another Iranian official warned that even a limited US strike would lead to the breakout of war in the Middle East.
Regime advisor Ali Shamkhani wrote: “A limited strike is an illusion. Any military action by the United States, from any location and at any level, will be considered the beginning of a war, and the response will be immediate, comprehensive, and unprecedented - targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all supporters of the aggressor."
The standoff is the latest flashpoint between the US and the Islamic Republic after the President backed off from striking the nation after it appeared to shelve plans of executing protesters after a recent wave of unrest.
A brutal crackdown from the Ayatollah's regime has seen as many as 30,000 killed in retribution for the worst wave of protests since the nation's Islamic revolution in 1979.
According to the American leader, Washington has sent out a "larger fleet" than what was recently seen around Venezuela before President Nicolás Maduro was captured, including the United States Navy's Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
The flagship fleet entered the Central Command’s zone of responsibility on Monday, after being redirected from operations in the Indo-Pacific.
The move prompted a senior Iranian official to warn that any attack on the nation would be treated "as an all-out war against us".
The unnamed official said: "This military build-up - we hope it is not intended for real confrontation - but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario. This is why everything is on high alert in Iran."
They added: "This time we will treat any attack - limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it - as an all-out war against us, and we will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this."
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Araghchi said: "Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful."
Former security minister Tom Tugendhat said the presence of a US armada in the Middle East means Trump will "more likely than not" authorise military action.
"How close to taking that decision the US is, I can't tell you; only the US can tell you that. But it certainly seems that they are not just getting battle-ready, they're getting diplomatically ready," he told Sky News.
Tehran and Washington may still reach a deal, but to do so, the Iranian regime would have to agree to Trump's unfavourable terms.
This includes giving up its nuclear enrichment entirely, relinquishing its long-range missiles, and ending support for armed groups in the region.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and has repeatedly denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Alistair Burt, a former Conservative minister, told LBC News's Charlotte Lynch that the President's strategy is unclear in its goals.
Mr Burt told Charlotte: "If [Trump] wanted to achieve a nuclear deal, he walked away from one in 2017 when one had already been agreed.
"But if he wants a new one, then the opportunities have been there. But of course, it does take the Iranians to work on this as well.
On the international response to the threats, Mr Burt said that he thinks the President has questions to answer about why further strikes are necessary.
He told Charlotte: "President Trump would also have to answer why it's necessary to take a further strike against Iran to deal with its nuclear facilities when we thought that had been dealt with some months ago.
"I think, like [Iran's] neighbours in the Gulf, the United Kingdom were looking at this with great concern. Concern because the problem of taking any form of military action is that you never know quite what happens next.
"If the action is designed to promote democracy in Iran and complete the protests that we have seen recently, well, it's hard to see quite how that can be achieved by military activity.
"There is no opposition ready to take power in Iran. There are no signs that the Iranian regime is yet breaking. It is perfectly clear that they do not rule Iran by the consent of the people. But if there is further instability in the region, the United Kingdom will be worried about that, along with others."