Donald Trump warns Iran ‘time is running out’ for nuclear deal as US fleet arrives in Gulf

US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran, claiming a powerful naval force is en route toward the country and urging its leaders to negotiate a deal on nuclear weapons to prevent potential military conflict.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Mr Trump said a “massive Armada” led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was “moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose”.

He described the deployment as larger than a previous fleet he sent to Venezuela before US forces seized the country’s former leader, Nicolas Maduro, declaring the military was “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary”.

The Republican President added that “time is running out” for Iran to make a deal and avoid military escalation.

“Hopefully Iran will come quickly to the table and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS - one that is good for all parties,” he wrote.

Mr Trump concluded his post by referencing the US attack on three nuclear facilities in Iran last June, warning that any future strike will be “far worse”.

“As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again.”

Earlier this month, he threatened military action over Iran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government rallies but the strikes were reportedly called off when Tehran said it would not execute protesters.

More to come...