U.S. President Donald Trump warned Monday that the United States would either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job,” prompting fresh threats from Tehran as negotiations over a permanent ceasefire and broader agreement are expected to resume.
“We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to finish the job,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on July 6. “And it won’t be tough to finish the job. I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people.”
Trump said the United States had the military capability to cripple Iran’s infrastructure if diplomacy failed. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply,” he said, adding that Iran “doesn’t have any money now” and that Washington had not provided Tehran with funds.
Tehran Responds Defiantly
Iran responded defiantly. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that Tehran would respond “in another language” unless Trump spoke to the Iranian people “with respect.”
“I say to the delusional president of the United States, who today threatened 91 million Iranians: Speak to the Iranian people with respect, or we will respond to you in another language,” Zolghadr said in remarks carried by Iranian state media.
Ceasefire Talks Set to Resume
The sharp exchange comes as the United States and Iran continue efforts to turn a temporary ceasefire into a permanent agreement following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. Talks reportedly ended last week without a breakthrough, though negotiations are expected to resume in Pakistan on July 11.
The renewed diplomatic push follows weeks of military escalation, including U.S. strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged ceasefire violations. Trump has warned that if Iran continues to violate the ceasefire, the United States may be forced to “militarily complete the job.”
The expected talks are also set to address Iran’s nuclear program, economic sanctions, and frozen assets tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A Nation in Mourning
Tensions remain high as Iran holds funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the conflict. Trump said Washington had given Tehran “a week off” for the funeral proceedings before indirect negotiations resumed.
