Last week, President Trump revealed that he had sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that seeks a new deal to restrain Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program and replace the agreement he withdrew America from in his first term in office.
This comes as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never allow the rogue nation to acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium – a purity only sought by atomic-armed nations – at near weapons-grade levels.
"I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate, because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump reported.
"They should think about what happened to [Qasem] Soleimani," Bob Maginnis suggests. "A Hellfire missile rained down on his vehicle, and he was dead. And then Trump communicated to the Ayatollah, 'We know where you live.'"
Instead, the radical Islamic regime continues to be problematic.
"They've opened themselves to hostilities by having two direct attacks from their homeland on Israel," the defense analyst points out. "That, even in the eyes of the Chinese, makes them far more vulnerable than they were in the past. And, of course, the Israelis have already put a dent in their air defense system, which was what they did in October, so, Trump's making a calculated move here."
After initially rejecting talks with the U.S., Iran's U.N. mission posted a statement on X saying it would consider negotiations if the talks were confined to concerns about the militarization of its nuclear program:
"If the objective of negotiations is to address concerns vis-à-vis any potential militarization of Iran's nuclear program, such discussions may be subject to consideration."
Sunday's statement stressed, however, that Tehran would not negotiate away what it has long maintained is a peaceful nuclear program.
"There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal," Trump said. "I would prefer to make a deal, because I'm not looking to hurt Iran."
