Trump Wants Iran to ‘Thrive,’ but Warns Time Running Out on Nuclear Threat

President Donald Trump is urging a peaceful future for Iran, saying he wants to see the country “thrive” economically, but made it clear the United States will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Tehran and will act if the nuclear threat continues.

Speaking Wednesday at the White House, President Trump responded to questions about the looming deadline for nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, emphasizing both urgency and opportunity. 

“I want them to thrive; I want Iran to be great,” he said. “The only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon.”

The President reiterated that, while a peaceful resolution is still possible, military action remains “absolutely” on the table if talks break down or are used as a stalling tactic. 

“With Iran, if it requires military [action], we’re going to have military [action],” he warned. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that — and be the leader of that.”

“But nobody leads us,” he added. “We do what we want to do.”

President Trump, however, made it clear he will not allow the talks to be drawn out indefinitely. 

“We don’t have much time,” he said. “When you start talks, you know if they’re going along well or not.”

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Earlier in the week, Trump emphasized his issue is not with the Iranian people — but with the Islamic regime’s pursuit of nuclear capability. 

“I think a deal would be good,” he said Monday. “That’s what we all want. But if not, we know what comes next.”

The comments come as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that Tehran will enter high-level negotiations with the United States in the coming days.

In recent months, Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — has intensified threats against American military forces, amplified calls to assassinate President Trump in state-linked media, and continued a pattern of mass executions and global plots targeting U.S. officials and dissidents.

However, many Iranians have expressed discontent with their regime and support for President Trump’s hardline stance, with dissidents feeling emboldened by his policies and hope they might lead to governmental change.

President Trump has previously acknowledged feeling “torn” over the sanctions directive, indicating a preference to “work out a deal” and suggesting he is open to negotiating with the Islamic Republic’s president. He has also said Iran was “too close” to developing a nuclear weapon, and it would not have been so close if he had continued in the presidency after 2020.

The president’s message — that Iran has a path back to the international community and economic prosperity, but that path will close if the regime continues to pursue nuclear weapons — reflects a policy of peace through strength and a consistent stance against nuclear proliferation by hostile or terror-linked regimes.