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President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States has directly communicated expectations to Iran as pressure mounts for Tehran to accept a nuclear deal, even as Iranian officials publicly signal interest in talks.
Asked whether Iran faces a deadline to make a deal, Trump suggested the timeline already had been conveyed privately.
"Only they know for sure," he said, confirming when pressed that the message had been delivered directly to Iranian leaders.
Trump also tied the growing U.S. naval presence in the region explicitly to Iran, saying American warships "have to float someplace" and "might as well float near Iran" as Washington weighs its next steps.
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Meanwhile, Iran is ready to discuss its nuclear program with the U.S. "on an equal footing," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday, as Washington dramatically ramps up military pressure in the Middle East amid growing doubts about Tehran's willingness to accept verifiable limits on its nuclear ambitions.
The U.S. has long insisted Iran give up its ability to enrich uranium - the material used to build a nuclear weapon - while Iran maintains it has never pursued a bomb and says its nuclear program is intended for energy and civilian purposes.
Araghchi said no meeting was currently scheduled with U.S. officials, but left the door open to talks under specific conditions.
"If the negotiations are fair and on an equal footing, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to participate," he said, adding that talks could not happen immediately. "Preparations are needed, both in terms of the form and subject of the discussions and the venue."
U.S. and allied officials, however, remain deeply skeptical.
Iran's record under the 2015 nuclear deal - agreeing to stringent limits and international inspections only to later exceed enrichment caps and restrict monitoring - has fueled doubts about whether its latest overtures would translate into meaningful action.
That trust deficit was further strained in 2025, when diplomatic efforts unfolded alongside military action.
In June 2025, the U.S. military joined Israel in striking three Iranian nuclear facilities - including the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites - in an operation aimed at degrading Tehran's nuclear capabilities even as indirect talks were underway. Iranian officials later cited the strikes as evidence that Washington was unwilling to negotiate in good faith.
But time may be running out for diplomacy. Trump warned Thursday that Iran must end its nuclear program and halt the killing of protesters or face the possibility of U.S. military action.
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"We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn't have to use them," Trump said.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in the region at the end of January, is operating with a carrier strike group that includes multiple destroyers and air squadrons flying F-35C Lightning II jets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, CMV-22B Ospreys and MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters.
Trump reinforced his message Wednesday on Truth Social, writing: "Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS."
Tensions broke out once again at the start of January amid mass anti-government protests in Iran and a brutal crackdown resulting in thousands of deaths.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has called for an end to Iran's nuclear program, the transfer of enriched uranium out of the country, limits on its missile program and an end to financial support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas.
Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons - an assertion U.S. and Israeli officials continue to dispute, arguing Tehran's enrichment advances and reduced cooperation with international inspectors have brought it closer than ever to a potential nuclear breakout.
