Washington [US], January 29: On January 28, US President Donald Trump warned Iran that it must negotiate and reach an agreement on nuclear weapons, or the US would launch another, even more powerful attack.
"Hopefully Iran will quickly come to the negotiating table and negotiate a fair and equal deal - without nuclear weapons - a good deal for all parties. Time is running out, and this is really important!", President Trump wrote on social media, according to Reuters.
He noted that his most recent warning to Iran had been followed by a military attack in June 2025. "The next attack will be far more dangerous! Don't let that happen again," Trump wrote.
He reiterated that a US "fleet" was heading toward Iran. According to the leader, a US naval force led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was approaching Iran.
In response, Ali Shamkhani, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, wrote on social media that any military action from the US would lead Iran to target the US, Israel, and countries that support the US.
In addition, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned on X that the Iranian armed forces "are ready to respond immediately and forcefully to any act of aggression."
On the other hand, Araqchi emphasized that Iran has always welcomed "a fair, equitable, and mutually beneficial nuclear agreement that protects Iran's rights to peaceful nuclear technology and ensures the absence of nuclear weapons ."
Araqchi had previously stated that he had not been in contact with US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff in recent days or requested negotiations, according to Iranian state media on January 28.
President Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if Iranian officials continue killing protesters, but nationwide protests over economic hardship have subsided.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told US lawmakers on January 28 that the Iranian government is probably weaker than ever and its economy is collapsing. He predicted that protests would erupt again.
However, Reuters, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported that according to numerous U.S. intelligence reports, while the economic conditions that fueled the protests persist, the Iranian government's top leadership appears to remain stable, with no major rifts.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
