Trump warns Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei as nuclear talks falter: 'He should be very worried'

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump escalated rhetoric against Iran on Wednesday, February 4, warning that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be “very worried” as negotiations between Washington and Tehran appeared to be unraveling.

The remarks, delivered during a conversation with 'NBC Nightly News' anchor Tom Llamas, came amid mounting signs that diplomatic talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions were stalling.

Trump issues direct warning to Iran

Asked bluntly whether Iran’s supreme leader should be concerned, Trump left little room for ambiguity.

“I would say he should be very worried,” Trump said, noting that Iran was still engaged in negotiations with the United States.

When pressed on whether the administration continued to back Iranian protesters who were challenging the regime, Trump argued that US actions had fundamentally weakened Tehran’s strategic position.

“That country’s a mess right now because of us,” Trump said, claiming US strikes eliminated Iran's nuclear capabilities and shifted the balance of power across the Middle East.

“They were going to have a nuclear weapon within one month,” Trump said, arguing that regional powers had lived in fear of Tehran before the strikes. “That’s not going to happen anymore.”

The president credited the operation with stabilizing the region, claiming Arab nations no longer view Iran as a dominant threat because of US intervention.

Trump warns Iran against restarting nuclear efforts

As the conversation turned to the future of negotiations, Trump suggested that Iran had explored restarting its nuclear efforts- a move he said would trigger swift retaliation.

“I heard that they are,” Trump said when asked whether Iran was attempting to revive its program. “If they do, we’re going to send them right back and do the job again.”

Trump claimed that US intelligence had detected efforts to establish a new nuclear site after the original facility was destroyed, adding that Iranian officials were warned directly against moving forward.

“I said, ‘You do that, we’re going to do very bad things to you,’” Trump said.

Trump’s comments followed a report from Axios indicating that negotiations between Washington and Tehran were deteriorating.

Earlier, Iran's supreme leader had warned that an attack by the US would start a 'regional war'.