U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran this Sunday with bombings and secondary tariffs if they do not reach an agreement on their nuclear program, after Tehran rejected direct negotiations with Washington last week.

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“If an agreement is not reached, there will be bombings (…) There will be bombings like never before,” Trump declared in a telephone interview with NBC, where he suggested that U.S. and Iranian officials are in talks, without specifying more details.

During his first term (2017-21), Trump withdrew the U.S. from an agreement signed in 2015 between Iran and other powers that established strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for a relief of sanctions.

The U.S. accuses Iran of enriching uranium to a level above what is justifiable in a civilian atomic energy program and, according to Washington, this is because they are secretly developing an agenda to enhance nuclear weapons.

On the other hand, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country has told the US that it is willing to engage in indirect negotiations, although the continuation of these will depend on Washington’s behavior.

Iran’s response to a letter from President Donald Trump indicates that while it discards direct talks due to mistrust generated by unfulfilled promises, it keeps the door open for indirect negotiations, conditioning the progress of the process on American behaviour.

Trump’s letter, sent through an emissary from the UAE, urged Iran to enter into negotiations for a new agreement, warning of possible military action in case of refusal.

For its part, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran, on the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Republic, warns against a severe and forceful response to any threat or aggression by the enemy, reaffirming its commitment to defending its principles and supporting the oppressed, especially in Palestine.

The military said they aim to deterrent its military capacity and its resistance to external pressures, recalling the challenges faced since its establishment and underlining its position as a leading force in the world, the result of popular support expressed in the 1979 referendum establishing the Islamic Republic.

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