Says US naval force led by aircraft carrier is approaching Iran; Turkey urges both sides to start nuclear talks today
US President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next US attack would be far worse.
“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” Trump wrote in a social media post.
The Republican US president, who during his first White House term pulled out of world powers’ 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, noted that his last warning to Iran was followed by a military strike in June.
“The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” Trump wrote. He also repeated that a US “armada” was heading toward the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he had not been in contact with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days or requested negotiations, state media reported on Wednesday.
Trump said a US naval force headed by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, was approaching Iran. Two US officials told Reuters on Monday that the Lincoln and supporting warships had arrived in the Middle East.
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The warships started moving from the Asia-Pacific region last week as US-Iranian tensions soared following a bloody crackdown on protests across Iran by its clerical authorities in recent weeks.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if Iran continued to kill protesters, but the countrywide demonstrations over economic privations and political repression have since abated. He has said the United States would act if Tehran resumed its nuclear program after the June airstrikes by Israeli and US forces on key nuclear installations.
Turkey urges US to start nuclear talks with Iran
Turkey’s top diplomat urged Washington to start nuclear talks with Iran in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, as US warships arrived in the region ahead of a possible strike over Tehran’s protest crackdown.
“It’s wrong to attack Iran. It’s wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television in English.
“My advice has always been to our American friends: close the files one by one with the Iranians. Start with the nuclear issue and close it. Then move on to the others,” he said.
Fidan’s comments after a US naval strike force led by an aircraft carrier took up position in Middle Eastern waters, US Central Command said on Monday, without revealing its precise location.
Washington has not ruled out new military intervention against Tehran over its harsh response to the protests, which according to rights groups saw thousands of people killed within days.
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Since Iran began its crackdown earlier this month accompanied by a nationwide internet blackout, US President Donald Trump has given mixed signals on intervention.
NATO-member Turkey, which shares a 530-kilometre (330-mile) border with Iran, has often expressed opposition to military operations targeting the Islamic Republic.
Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the unrest in Iran as a “new test” for Tehran, pledging Turkey would “stand against any initiative” that would drag the region into chaos.
He said he hoped diplomacy and dialogue would help Iran get through this “trap-filled period”.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera, Fidan said the problems with Iran should be tackled individually.
“Do not treat them as a package. If you put everything together as one package, it will be very difficult for our Iranian friends to digest and truly process it,” he said.
“In some cases, it may even seem humiliating for them. It would be hard to explain not only to themselves but also to their leadership.”
Fidan also urged Iran to build trust in the region.
“When I was in Iran two months ago, I was very frank with my Iranian friends. They need to build trust in the region,” he said.
“They need to pay attention to how they are perceived by regional countries”.
