US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that time is running out to negotiate a new deal on nuclear weapons, threatening far more severe military action if talks fail. The warning came in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, where he claimed a “massive armada” was moving toward the Middle East and urged Tehran to “make a deal” before it is too late.
President Trump said any future US strike would be “far worse” than last June’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which he described as having “obliterated” the country’s nuclear capacity during what he called Operation Midnight Hammer. Speaking overnight in Iowa, the president repeated those claims, saying Iran had been only weeks away from acquiring a nuclear weapon at the time of the operation.
At the center of the US military buildup is the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier now operating in the region. According to former strategic military planner Mikey Kay, the carrier forms the core of a carrier strike group supported by warships and submarines that provide layered air and missile defense. He described the carrier as a critical strategic asset and a key focus of Iranian intelligence efforts.
Iranian state media has denied that Foreign Minister officials have been in contact with US special envoy Steve Witkoff or that any new negotiations have been requested. Meanwhile, Iranian surveillance activity has increased, including the deployment of long-range drones near the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly tracking US naval movements.
Mr Trump’s comments come as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high following a brutal crackdown by Iranian authorities on recent nationwide protests. A US-based human rights group says more than 6,000 people have been confirmed killed during the unrest this month, with investigations ongoing into reports that the true toll could be far higher.
Witnesses told the BBC that Iranian security forces fired live ammunition from rooftops and motorbikes into crowds, describing scenes of mass killings. Among the dead are dozens of bystanders and more than 90 children. Hospitals have reportedly been raided by security forces searching for injured protesters, leading many wounded civilians to seek treatment in secret.
The Iranian government has imposed a widespread internet blackout, but during brief periods of satellite connectivity, the BBC spoke to young Iranians who described being shot at while protesting peacefully. Human rights groups say doctors who treated the injured have also been detained.
As international concern mounts over both Iran’s internal repression and the escalating military standoff with the United States, President Trump has reiterated that all options remain on the table — while insisting that diplomacy remains possible if Iran acts quickly.