Trump warns Iran of military strikes amid nuclear deal push

The president also hints at tariffs on Russian oil

THE WORLDVIEW

March 30, 2025

IN his first term as the US president (2017-2021), Donald Trump scrapped the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and several world powers — a deal brokered after arduous negotiations involving former leaders Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani. Now, in his second term following Joe Biden’s presidency, Trump appears increasingly impatient for a new deal on Iran’s nuclear programme, warning of military strikes if Tehran refuses to comply.

In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, President Trump stated that Washington would not hesitate to bomb Iranian targets or impose further economic penalties if a new agreement is not reached. “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing,” he said.

“But there’s a chance that if they don’t make a deal, I will impose secondary tariffs like I did four years ago.”

During his first term, Trump reinstated sweeping US sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to escalate its uranium enrichment beyond agreed limits. Analysts believe Trump withdrew from the original agreement because it contained provisions favourable to Iran. However, he now seeks credit for securing a more restrictive deal on the same nuclear programme.

So far, Iran has dismissed Trump’s ultimatum. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told IRNA news agency on Thursday that Tehran responded through Oman to a letter from Trump urging negotiations.

Tensions with Russia

On the issue of Russia, Trump warned of imposing secondary tariffs of 25 to 50 per cent on Russian oil if he believes Moscow is obstructing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault... I will impose secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia,” he told NBC News.

Trump expressed frustration over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership, revealing that he plans to speak to Putin this week.

Despite his administration’s push for a swift resolution to the three-year conflict, negotiations have failed to produce a breakthrough. On Friday, Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and suggested Zelensky’s removal as part of a peace process.