U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday that Washington would either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job,” renewing the threat of military action as Tehran projects defiance after the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he would prefer an agreement but claimed the United States had the ability to rapidly cripple Iran’s infrastructure.
“We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to finish the job. OK. And it won’t be tough to finish the job,” Trump said. “I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people.”
“We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply,” he added. “They don’t have any money now. We haven’t given them any money.”
His comments came after indirect talks between the United States and Iran ended last week with no public sign of progress toward a lasting agreement. The negotiations followed a 60-day ceasefire intended to create space for diplomacy after U.S. and Israeli strikes triggered a wider conflict.
Washington has said the ceasefire was aimed at reviving efforts to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Trump’s remarks also followed Khamenei’s weekend funeral, where large crowds and public displays of defiance suggested that Iran’s leadership and supporters were seeking to project unity rather than weakness after the war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28.
Tehran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons, while accusing Washington and Israel of using the nuclear file as a pretext for military pressure.