US President Donald Trump has warned Iran it will face a "decapitation" strike unless Tehran agrees to a nuclear deal, telling reporters he was giving the country "every last chance" before ordering military action, as tensions in the Gulf continue to escalate.
Speaking to reporters, Trump was asked why this attempt at negotiations would succeed after he had already called off planned air strikes on Iran at least five times since April. "I don't know. I don't know," he said. "I think we're going to maybe get something, but I want to give him every last chance before decapitation."
-
Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon -
NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term -
Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani -
'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps -
India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers -
'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax -
Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite -
Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness -
CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE -
Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI
He described the planned operation as "very, very tough to do" and said he would "rather not" carry out an attack of that scale, though he noted the US had already conducted several large-scale strikes.
"Hopefully they'll come to their senses because they cannot have a nuclear weapon," he said.
Trump claimed Iranian officials had reached out to Washington to avert the strike.
ALSO READ: 'They Beg': Trump Slams 'Duplicitous' Iran Over Secret Talks; Claims Total Hormuz Control
"They called me and they said, please don't attack, we'll make a deal. That's the real truth and everyone knows it," he said, adding that Iran had "found out through leaks" about the scale of the planned assault. He said the strike, had it proceeded, "would have gone on for a long time" and left "essentially very little" of its target.
Trump also said leakers should face jail and called for stronger laws against unauthorised disclosures.
Trump added that he was under no political pressure to act quickly, noting he was not himself standing for re-election, though he referenced Republicans currently on the campaign trail facing what he called "a sick ideology."
The remarks come amid a prolonged standoff between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear programme, with talks having stalled repeatedly in recent months despite several rounds of shuttle diplomacy.
ALSO READ: Multiple Explosions Reported In Kuwait, Vessel Hit In Hormuz Amid US-Iran Tensions
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.