Western powers accuse Iran of having a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to a high level of fissile purity, above what they say is justifiable for a civilian atomic energy program. However, Tehran insists its nuclear program is wholly for civilian energy purposes.
In Trump's first remarks since Iran rejected direct
negotiations with Washington last week, he told NBC News that US and Iranian
officials were talking, but did not elaborate.
"If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing,"
Trump said in a telephone interview. "It will be bombing the likes of
which they have never seen before."
"There's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I
will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago," he added.
Iran sent a response through Oman to a letter
from Trump urging Tehran to reach a new nuclear deal, saying its policy was to
not engage in direct negotiations with the United States while under its maximum
pressure campaign and military threats, Tehran's foreign minister was quoted as
saying on Thursday.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated the policy on
Sunday. "Direct negotiations with the US have been rejected, but Iran has
always been involved in indirect negotiations, and now too, the Supreme Leader
has emphasized that indirect negotiations can still continue," he said,
referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In the NBC interview, Trump also threatened so-called secondary
tariffs, which affect buyers of a country's goods, on both Russia and Iran. He
signed an executive order last week authorizing such tariffs on buyers of Venezuelan
oil.
Trump did not elaborate on those potential tariffs.
In his first 2017-21 term, Trump withdrew the US from a 2015
deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran's
disputed nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Trump also reimposed sweeping US sanctions. It is alleged
that since then, the Islamic Republic has far surpassed the agreed limits in
its escalating program of uranium enrichment.