Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 11, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe White House warns Iran of severe consequences if it continues its nuclear program, with Trump emphasizing diplomacy but keeping all options open.
By Nandita Bose and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump wants Iran to know that there will be "all hell to pay" if it does not abandon its nuclear program, his press secretary told reporters on Friday ahead of talks on Saturday between U.S. and Iranian delegations.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump's "ultimate objective is to ensure that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon" and that Trump believes in diplomacy, but that "all options are on the table" if diplomatic efforts fail.
"But he's made it very clear to the Iranians, and his national security team will as well, that all options are on the table, and Iran has a choice to make. You can agree to President Trump's demand, or there will be all hell to pay, and that's how the president feels. He feels very strongly about it," Leavitt said.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is set for talks on Saturday with an Iranian delegation in Oman. Iranian state media said Iran would be represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi as intermediary.
Trump in February restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, which includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero, in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He said earlier this week that if the talks are unsuccessful, "Iran is going to be in great danger."
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland, Editing by Franklin Paul and Bill Berkrot)
The article discusses the White House's warning to Iran about developing nuclear weapons and the potential consequences.
Trump prefers diplomacy but warns of severe consequences if Iran continues its nuclear program.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi as intermediary.
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