Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jul 28: US President Donald Trump has said he is prepared to resume "very strong military action" against Iran if ongoing diplomatic efforts fail, while confirming that he had put planned strikes on hold to give negotiations with Tehran another opportunity.
According to reports, the current negotiations are focused on reaching a new agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and revive broader discussions on Iran's nuclear programme.
The talks are reportedly being led by Iran and Oman, with Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Senior Adviser Jared Kushner also playing active roles in the mediation process.
Speaking to Axios, Trump said diplomacy remained the preferred option but warned that military action was still on the table if negotiations did not succeed.
"We are in very deep talks with Iran. If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action," Trump said.
When asked how much time he was willing to allow for diplomacy, Trump replied, "Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all," indicating that the window for negotiations was limited.
Trump said he decided to pause the planned strikes on Friday after several countries mediating between Washington and Tehran, along with other regional governments, urged him to allow diplomacy another chance before resorting to military action.
"All of the people that deal with Iran asked me: 'Don't fire,'" Trump said, adding that he believed Iran wanted to reach an agreement.
Explaining his decision, Trump said, "Nothing gained, nothing lost."
Meanwhile, several explosions were reported in Erbil in northern Iraq early on Tuesday, including near the US Consulate, following suspected Iranian drone attacks.
According to Al Jazeera, citing police sources, at least four Iranian drones targeted locations in the Khalifan and Soran areas northeast of Erbil. The strikes reportedly triggered large fires around the targeted sites, while two drones crashed near their intended targets.
Following the attacks, police sources told Al Jazeera that more than 10 US warplanes and drones were seen flying over Erbil as security measures were intensified.