In Washington, President Trump openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the ongoing negotiations with Iran, stating on Friday that he is “not happy” with the current state of affairs. He also acknowledged the potential for U.S. airstrikes to escalate into a prolonged conflict in the Middle East, cautioning that “there’s always a risk” of such an outcome.
“I’m not pleased with their reluctance to meet our demands. We need to secure what we have to have, and I’m not thrilled with the current situation. We’ll see how things unfold,” Trump remarked, following a day of talks in Geneva where Iranian diplomats rejected U.S. demands to cease their nuclear program.
He added, “We are set to continue discussions. We’ll have further talks today, but as it stands, I’m dissatisfied with the progress.”
Despite the tensions, Trump emphasized that “we haven’t made a final decision” regarding the execution of threatened military strikes. This comes in the wake of a significant deployment of American naval and air forces near Iran.
Reiterating his stance, Trump insisted, “We aren’t content with their negotiation approach. They cannot possess nuclear weapons.”
When questioned by a reporter about the possibility of strikes leading to an extended conflict in the region, Trump acknowledged the inherent risks, emphasizing the complexity of the situation and the careful consideration required before taking any military action.
âI guess you could say thereâs always a risk,” the president replied. “You know, when thereâs war, thereâs a risk in anything, both good and bad.â
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Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner represented the president Thursday in Switzerland and are preparing for followup talks Monday in Vienna.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to be in Israel Monday and Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Oman-mediated talks in Geneva got off to a bad start when Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, insisted his country had an inalienable right to enrich uranium â rejecting Trump’s central demand â but all sides left saying progress was made.
Omani foreign minister Sayyid Badr Al-busaidi met Friday with Vice President JD Vance in Washington to discuss the status of talks.
In his first term, Trump abandoned former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear pact with Iran, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, arguing it lacked comprehensive safeguards to block atomic weapon development by the theocratic regime.
Trump’s use of gunboat diplomacy to back up his call for complete denuclearization follows his airstrikes in June 2025 on three Iranian nuclear facilities â Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan â in support of Israeli military action.
The president’s acknowledgement that further action could spark a major war is significant because of his own record of slamming his predecessors for destabilizing the Mideast with regime-change interventions, often singling out President George W. Bush’s 2003 decision to invade Iraq.
But Trump quickly followed his remark Friday with examples of one-off strikes that lost no American lives â including the Jan. 3 raid that captured longtime Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and brought him to New York to face federal drug and weapons charges.
“We’ve had tremendous luck with myself â Soleimani, al Baghdadi, everything worked out â and then we do the Midnight Hammer and so many others. Everything’s worked out, and we want to keep it that way,” Trump said.
“But we’re going to see. Look, it’d be wonderful if they negotiate really in good conscience, good faith and conscience, but they are not getting there.”
