Trump warns Iran of ‘steep’ consequences if no deal reached after ‘very good’ talks

by Steff Danielle Thomas

President Trump on Friday called the recent talks between the U.S. and Iran “very good,” but said the consequences would be “very steep” if a deal is not reached.

Despite the pressure, Trump acknowledged that negotiations take time, telling reporters late Friday that “we’re in no rush.”

“You have to get in position. We have plenty of time if you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while and we’re in no rush,” the president said, when asked about a timeline. “We have very good talks going with Iran. We have very good talks going with Russia and Ukraine. We’re doing a lot of good talking.”

“The results today with Iran … we’re gonna meet again early next week. And they want to make a deal as they should want to make a deal,” he continued. “They know the consequences if they don’t. If they don’t make a deal — the consequences are very steep. So, we’ll see what happens.”

Trump added that his team “had a very good meeting with a very high representative of Iran, and we’ll see how it all turns out.”

Officials from the two nations held indirect negotiations early Friday in Oman over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Tehran has looked to evade another U.S. strike on its soil, after the president threatened to intervene if the regime continued its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also called the talks a “very good start,” adding that Iran’s “views and concerns were conveyed in a very good atmosphere.” He noted that while Friday’s meeting was overall “a good start,” further dialogue requires the absence of U.S. threats.

A date for the next round of talks has not yet been announced.

Trump issued an executive order later Friday unveiling a new round of sanctions on Iran and its energy sector — including tariffs on foreign trading partners that conduct business with the nation. The order does not specify a tax rate but uses 25 percent as an example.

“The President is holding Iran accountable for its pursuit of nuclear capabilities, support for terrorism, ballistic missile development, and regional destabilization that endanger American security, allies, and interests,” the White House fact sheet reads.

“President Trump has never wavered in his stance that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon — a pledge he has made repeatedly, both in office and on the campaign trail,” it continues later.

The potential tariffs could be removed if Iran or its oil trading partners align themselves with the U.S. “on national security, foreign policy, and economic matters,” according to the order.

Iran and its neighbors have been on edge over the possibility that the U.S. could launch a second strike on the Islamic Republic after last year’s attack on three nuclear facilities in Tehran. The tensions were only exacerbated after the Trump administration deployed an “armada” of ships toward Iran as clashes between protesters and the Iranian government turned violent.

Trump doubled down on his support for protesters earlier this week — saying Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be “very worried.” He has previously called for regime change in the nation.

The regime and its allies have promised to retaliate if the U.S. military attacks, including threats to American bases in the region.