Trump tells Iranian leaders they 'should be very worried'

(The Center Square) – Iran’s leadership “should be very worried,” President Donald Trump warned Wednesday amid conflicting reports that talks between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic had been called off.

Despite reports circulating Wednesday that the talks had been cancelled, a White House official confirmed with The Center Square that the talks remain on track and leaders will meet Friday in Oman.

Trump made the comments during an interview with NBC Wednesday at the White House, warning the Islamic Republic against restarting its nuclear program.

“I’m hearing that Iran wants to restart the new program. If that’s the case, we’ll send the forces to do the job again. They tried to go back to the site, but they couldn’t access it. We discovered that they wanted to open a nuclear site in another part of the country. I said, ‘You do that—we’ll do very bad things to you,’” said Trump.

The president insists Operation Midnight Hammer, when the U.S. struck Iran’s nuclear sites in June, was a necessary step in pursuing peace in the Middle East.

“If we didn’t take out that nuclear, we wouldn’t have peace in the Middle East, because the Arab countries could’ve never done that. They were very afraid of Iran. They’re not afraid of Iran anymore,” said Trump.

During a press conference at the State Department Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared less optimistic that the U.S. and Iran could reach a deal.

“If the Iranians want to meet, we’re ready…I’m not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we’re going to try to find out…This is a president that always prefers a peaceful outcome to any conflict or any challenge,” said Rubio.

The talks come as a large armada of U.S. Naval ships has been and is moving closer to the Islamic Republic. On Tuesday, the U.S. confirmed it had shot down two Iranian drones flying near the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier sailing in the region.

The president continues to cite the increasingly significant naval presence in the region, hoping to pressure the Islamic Republic to “make a deal.”

“It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like Venezuela, it is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” Trump previously posted on Truth Social.

The president is calling on Iran to “come to the table and negotiate a fair and equitable deal,” underscoring that the Islamic Republic cease trying to rebuild its nuclear program.

“Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” Trump wrote.

Iran’s delegation to the UN hit back at the president’s warnings, pointing to the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq – indicating another war could be costly for American taxpayers and lives.

“Last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives. Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests – BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” the Iran delegation posted on X.

The president’s comments come amid multiple reports within Iran that the regime is continuing its brutality against anti-regime protesters.

Trump has expressed support for the protesters, offering help if the regime fails to cease executions.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – Take OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this month. “I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS…MIGA [Make Iran Great Again].”

In recent weeks, Trump has told reporters that the U.S. is weighing “strong options” against the Islamic Republic’s regime, inching closer to striking the country for a second time within a year.

Earlier in January, the president issued another stern warning to the regime if it retaliated against protesters.

“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United State of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” the president posted on his Truth Social account.

During the last week of December, Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when the two leaders reportedly discussed the potential of future strikes on Iran if the Islamic Republic attempts to rebuild its nuclear capabilities.

“I hear Iran is looking to rebuild its facilities again, and if they do we will have to knock them down again,” the president told reporters during a news conference in late December. “We’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that build up. So I hope Iran is not trying to build up, as I’ve been reading.”

The civil uprising in Iran follows a pattern of Iranian citizens protesting the brutal regime’s grip on its citizens.

It is unclear whether the talks in Oman will include discussions with protesters. The White House didn’t respond to questions from The Center Square regarding the protesters.