Donald Trump, United States president has once again issued a stark warning to Iran, just weeks after launching strikes on three of the country’s nuclear facilities. Speaking at a joint press conference in Scotland alongside Keir Starmer, United Kingdom prime minister, Trump accused Tehran of provoking fresh tensions and pledged swift military retaliation if Iran resumes uranium enrichment.
The remarks come amid heightened instability in the Middle East, following a breakdown in nuclear negotiations and ongoing fallout from Israel’s June offensive on Iranian targets.
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A war of words over enrichment
“Iran is sending very bad signals, very nasty signals,” Trump said on Monday. “We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it.”
He added: “We will do that gladly, openly and gladly.”
Trump’s comments follow a statement from Abbas Araghchi, Iranian foreign minister last week, reiterating Iran’s right to enrich uranium for medical and civilian purposes. The issue of uranium enrichment has long been a sticking point in talks between Tehran and Western powers. It was a red line for the Trump administration in earlier negotiations this year that collapsed after Israel launched military action against Iran in June.
While Iranian officials described recent discussions with the UK, France and Germany as “serious, frank and detailed”, there was no diplomatic breakthrough.
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Iran stands firm
In a swift response to Trump’s latest remarks, Araghchi insisted Iran “will never respond to the language of threat and intimidation”, reaffirming the country’s stance on peaceful enrichment.
“We will not hesitate to react in a more decisive manner if attacked again,” he said, signalling Tehran’s resolve as it faces increasing pressure from both the US and Israel.
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is strictly for civilian purposes and has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons. But since the collapse of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—which saw Tehran scale back enrichment in return for sanctions relief—its programme has expanded beyond the limits set in the agreement.
Israel raises stakes
Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israeli defence minister further inflamed tensions, delivering a personal threat to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.
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“If you continue to threaten Israel, our long arm will reach Tehran again with even greater power – and this time personally to you, too,” Katz was quoted as saying by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
The statement follows Israel’s June air raids on Iranian military installations, which triggered a regional escalation and put nuclear diplomacy on hold.
Trump accuses Iran of meddling in gaza talks
Separately, Trump accused Iran of sabotaging the latest round of negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
“I think they got involved in this negotiation, telling Hamas and giving Hamas signals and orders,” he alleged on Friday, without offering evidence. Talks held in Doha last week collapsed after both Israeli and US envoys abruptly withdrew.
Iran has not formally responded to that claim.
Return of maximum pressure
Trump’s comments suggest a return to the aggressive stance he adopted during his first presidency, when he unilaterally withdrew the US from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran. His administration at the time pursued a “maximum pressure” campaign, demanding that Iran cease enrichment entirely—an approach repeatedly rejected by Iranian negotiators as unrealistic and one-sided.
Upon returning to office in January, Trump initially signalled openness to a new nuclear deal. However, his administration quickly shifted back to a hardline posture, especially after the June Israeli strikes.
