Epic Fury Threat: Trump Urges Iran to Negotiate

Washington: The United States could resume military strikes against Iran unless Tehran agrees to a deal, President Donald Trump has said. Speaking at a Republican rally in Fort Myers, Florida, he warned that another round of attacks was possible if diplomacy did not succeed.

Trump told supporters that Washington could carry out another limited Epic Fury operation. He said Iran could avoid that outcome by agreeing to talk, describing a sensible response as a willingness to focus on practical matters.

"We can do another little Epic Fury, or they'll agree," he said. "If they're smart, they'll say, let's get to work."

The comments were made as Trump argued that his earlier military campaign had succeeded. He is also pressing Iran to accept a settlement that would prevent it from building nuclear weapons.

During his remarks, Trump referred to Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury. He claimed both operations had damaged Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and weakened its military and economy.

"We destroyed their nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer," he said, adding that later operations had built on the first attacks.

Trump did not explain what Iran would need to do to avoid another military round. Instead, he said the United States had beaten Iran militarily and financially and was now making sure the mission was completed.

His message suggests that the administration intends to keep up military pressure while still keeping a negotiated outcome on the table.

In an interview with Wink-TV, a Florida television station, Trump offered a similar view of how the conflict might end. "I think it'll end soon. It'll end somehow, either through a deal or another way," he said. He gave no specific timeframe and did not say whether talks were taking place.

Trump stressed that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons was the central aim of US military operations. He said earlier administrations had failed to stop the danger. "I had to hit Iran, or they would have had a nuclear weapon," he said.

He also defended the use of B-2 bombers, saying the strikes were necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal.

At the rally, Trump described severe inflation and economic trouble in Iran. He argued that American military and economic measures had left Tehran with little room but to reconsider its stance.

Trump linked the campaign to US naval operations around the Strait of Hormuz. He said the navy was enforcing a blockade against Iran while permitting other vessels to move through the waterway. He also said oil shipments through the strategic route had risen despite the conflict.