Trump: 'If No Deal With Iran, We’ll Consider Deploying an Additional Carrier Strike Group'

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if negotiations with Iran collapse, he could deploy an additional U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East. He delivered a hard-line message toward Iran, citing both a diplomatic deal and military pressure.

According to breaking-news account Walter Bloomberg on the 10th (local time), Trump said in recent remarks that "we will either reach a deal with Iran, or we will take very tough measures," adding that if talks fail he is considering deploying a second U.S. aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.

The U.S. and Iran resumed talks last week over the nuclear issue, and further negotiations are expected to be held soon. While Trump sees Iran as willing to come to the table, he has maintained that military pressure is necessary to secure an agreement.

Iran is sticking to its long-standing position that the agenda should be limited to its nuclear program. The U.S., however, is said to be seeking broader conditions related to regional security beyond the nuclear issue.

Against this backdrop, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington soon. With Israel having shown skepticism about the prospects for a deal with Iran, attention is focused on how the trip could affect U.S. policy toward Iran.

Trump’s remarks have once again underscored tensions in the Middle East, with markets and the international community closely watching how U.S.-Iran talks and military moves unfold.