President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran is “negotiating on fumes” as the White House ramps up pressure on Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions, warning that military action remains on the table if talks collapse.
Speaking during the administration’s monthly Cabinet meeting, Trump accused the Iranian regime of dragging out negotiations in hopes of surviving politically long enough to gain leverage after the 2026 midterms.
“Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal – so far they haven’t gotten there,” Trump said.
“We’re not satisfied with it: Either that or we’ll have to just finish the job.”
The president said U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are continuing talks with Iranian officials, though he argued Tehran’s position has weakened dramatically following recent military setbacks.
“Their Navy has gone, as I’ve said a thousand times, and Navy is gone, their air force is gone, everything’s gone, and they’re negotiating on fumes,” Trump said. “Maybe we have to go back and finish it. Maybe we don’t.”
Trump also described Iran’s economy as being in “free fall” and said the regime mistakenly believed it could simply wait out his administration.
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“They thought they were going to outwait me,” Trump said. “I don’t care about the midterms.
“Very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I’m doing that for the world. I’m not doing it just for us.”
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The remarks come as the administration continues pushing for a broader regional agreement tied to Middle East stability and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, though Trump declined to discuss specifics of the ongoing negotiations.
When asked whether more nations joining the Abraham Accords could be linked to a potential Iran deal, Trump suggested the United States still holds far stronger leverage if diplomacy fails.
“I can say that, we can make a good deal right now, but maybe not a great deal,” Trump said.
“If it’s not a great deal when I’m making it, we can make a great deal with this guy right here,” Trump added while pointing toward War Secretary Pete Hegseth. “It’s a lot nastier. Probably wouldn’t go as quickly … but it would be foolproof.”
Trump said negotiations are currently going “pretty well,” but again blasted the Obama administration’s nuclear agreement with Iran, calling it “the worst deal” and arguing it paved the way for Tehran to eventually obtain nuclear weapons.
The president also dismissed the idea that the United States formally pursued regime change in Iran, while suggesting the current leadership structure in Tehran has already been dramatically reshaped by recent events.
“We didn’t set out for regime change,” Trump said. “But by the fact that we’re dealing with a totally different group of people than we were at the beginning … This is regime change.”
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