US can wait 'a few days' for 'right answers' from Iran, says Trump

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States was prepared to wait “a few days” for the “right answers” from Iran as negotiations between Washington and Tehran entered what he described as a decisive phase.

Speaking to reporters after stepping off Air Force One, Trump said the talks were “right on the borderline” and warned that the situation could escalate rapidly if diplomacy failed.

“If we don’t get the right answers, it goes very quickly,” Trump said. “We’re all ready to go.”

The US president stressed that Washington expected “complete, 100% good answers” from Tehran and argued that a successful agreement could save “a lot of time, energy and lives.”

Trump also indicated that the current Iranian representatives involved in the negotiations appeared “far more reasonable” than previous officials and expressed hope that a deal beneficial to both sides could still be reached.

“We’re dealing with people that are, I think, far more reasonable than the people that are really no longer with us,” he said, adding that he hoped “those people will make a deal that’s going to be great for everyone.”

At the same time, Trump cautioned that the diplomatic window remained narrow.

“It could be a few days, but it could go very quickly,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Trump reiterated that the US would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon and said negotiations had entered the final phase.

“We’re in the final stages of Iran. We’ll see what happens. Either have a deal or we’re going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won’t happen,” Trump said. “Ideally I’d like to see few people killed, as opposed to a lot. We can do it either way.”

Trump also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, who welcomed the extension of the ceasefire and reportedly told the US president that a “reasonable solution” to the crisis remained possible.

The remarks briefly eased concerns in global energy markets, with oil prices falling nearly six percent on hopes that negotiations were nearing a breakthrough and that wider disruption in the Middle East could be avoided.

IRAN WARNS AGAINST ANY RENEWED MILITARY ACTION

Iran, however, warned against any renewed military action by Washington.

“If aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will extend beyond the region this time,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement.

Tehran also announced the launch of a new “Persian Gulf Strait Authority” aimed at controlling maritime traffic through the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who is also Iran’s top peace negotiator, said in an audio message on social media that both “obvious and hidden moves by the enemy” indicated the Americans were preparing fresh attacks.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsen Naqvi in Tehran to discuss the status of ongoing US-Iran negotiations and regional stability efforts.

According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Naqvi stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and mutual understanding, while Pezeshkian reiterated Tehran’s commitment to diplomacy.

In a post on X, the Iranian president said Tehran had consistently honoured its commitments and explored every avenue to avoid war. He added that all diplomatic paths remained open from Iran’s side and warned that “forcing Iran to surrender through coercion is nothing but an illusion.”

Diplomacy based on mutual respect, he said, remained “far wiser, safer and more sustainable than war.”

TUESDAY'S ESCALATION

Wednesday’s developments came a day after tensions sharply escalated when Trump warned that the United States could launch fresh military strikes against Iran within days if negotiations failed.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump revealed that he had come close to authorising military action before delaying the decision after Gulf allies requested more time for diplomacy. According to Trump, regional partners informed Washington that Pakistan-mediated talks were making progress and urged the US to hold back military action temporarily.

“I was about an hour away from making a decision,” Trump told reporters.

The US president said Washington had agreed to allow “a limited period of time — two or three days, at least” for negotiations to continue. However, he maintained that military action remained an option.

“It could be Friday, it could be the weekend, it could be early next week,” Trump said while discussing the possibility of renewed strikes. “We can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon.”

Trump also claimed that Iranian leaders were “begging” for a deal, though he did not provide further details.

Iran responded with strong warnings against any future American military action.

Iranian military spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia told ISNA news agency that Tehran would retaliate aggressively if attacked again.

“If the enemy acts foolishly, falls into the Israeli trap and commits another aggression, we will open new fronts against them with new methods,” Akraminia said.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also said the country remained united and prepared to respond firmly to any military aggression. He accused Washington of simultaneously pursuing negotiations while continuing to threaten Iran with large-scale military action.

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With inputs from Reuters