By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump said Friday that "interesting days" lie ahead for the US and Iran as he seeks to either negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran, or pursue "the other option," a likely allusion to military action.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the "next thing you'll be talking about is Iran," vowing "there'll be some interesting days ahead."
The comments came just hours after Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network that he sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging nuclear talks.
"We're down to final strokes with Iran. That's going to be an interesting time, and we'll see what happens. But we're down to the final moments. Final moments. Can't let them have a nuclear weapon," Trump said in the Oval Office.
"We have a situation with Iran, that something's going to happen very soon, very, very soon, you'll be talking about that pretty soon, I guess, and hopefully we can have a peace deal. I'm not speaking out of strength or weakness. I'm just saying I'd rather see a peace deal than the other, but the other will solve the problem," he added.
Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York responded to a question about Trump's statement that he sent a letter to Khamenei, saying they have not received such a letter so far, according to Iranian media reports.
Khamenei had earlier banned negotiations with the Trump administration, which he described as “untrustworthy.”
Senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi, have frequently said they will not negotiate with the US under pressure and threats.
“As long as the US policy of maximum pressure and threats continues, we will not enter into direct negotiations with the US,” Aragchi said in an interview in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday.