Trump threatens to bomb Iran if it doesn’t agree to nuclear deal; Iran ready to retaliate

US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it did not come to an agreement with Washington over its nuclear programme. Meanwhile, Iran is reportedly preparing its underground missile arsenal in response to US’ threats.

Trump told NBC News that US and Iranian officials were talking but did not give further details. "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing…It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before," Trump said in a telephone interview. "There's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago," he added.

Moreover, Tehran Times reported that Iran has placed its missiles in ready-to-launch mode within underground facilities across the country, designed to withstand airstrikes.

This comes after Iran responded through Oman to a letter from Trump that urged Tehran to engage in a new nuclear deal. Tehran's foreign minister stated that Iran's policy is to avoid direct negotiations with the US while facing its maximum pressure campaign and military threats. This stance was reiterated by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who emphasised that while direct talks with the US are off the table, Iran remains open to indirect negotiations, as supported by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In the NBC interview, Trump mentioned the possibility of imposing secondary tariffs on countries purchasing goods from Russia and Iran. These tariffs could extend to buyers of Venezuelan oil, following an executive order he signed last week. Trump indicated that a decision on these tariffs would depend on Tehran's willingness to negotiate a deal. 

During his tenure from 2017 to 2021, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major world powers, which had imposed strict limits on Iran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. He subsequently reimposed extensive US sanctions. In response, Iran exceeded the agreed limits in its uranium enrichment program, which raised concerns among Western powers. They accused Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability, while Tehran insisted its nuclear activities are solely for civilian energy purposes.