No talks under pressure -- Iran responds to Trump's threats, U.S. naval enforcement in Middle East

TEHRAN, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Wednesday rejected any prospect of talks with the United States as long as Washington continues to threaten military action, after U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric and announced the deployment of additional U.S. naval forces to the Middle East.

"There can be no negotiations in an atmosphere of threats," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. "Conducting diplomacy through military pressure is neither effective nor useful. If they want negotiations, they must abandon threats, excessive demands, and illogical issues."

In a post on X, Araghchi added that Iran welcomes a new deal on its nuclear program but would respond forcefully to any U.S. military operation.

"Our brave Armed Forces are prepared -- with their fingers on the trigger," the Iranian diplomat said.

Trump, meanwhile, urged Tehran to return to negotiations over its nuclear program, warning that a "massive armada" was moving toward the region.

"A massive armada is heading to Iran," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that the force would be larger than one previously deployed near Venezuela and would be ready to act if necessary.

"Hopefully Iran will quickly come to the table and negotiate a fair and equitable deal -- NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS," he added. "Time is running out." Trump warned that any future U.S. strike would be "far worse" than previous military actions if no agreement is reached.

The United States has already dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying guided-missile destroyers to the region. The U.S. Central Command said Monday that the carrier-led strike group had taken up position in Middle Eastern waters, without disclosing its exact location.

The heightened military posture comes roughly a month after protests erupted across Iran, which Tehran has accused the United States and Israel of fomenting. Since then, Trump has sent mixed signals, alternately calling for negotiations while refusing to rule out military intervention.

Inside Iran, the response to the naval buildup has been defiant. Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Wednesday that any notion of a "limited strike" against Iran was an illusion. He warned that any U.S. military action "from any origin and at any level" would be considered the start of a war and would prompt an "immediate, all-out and unprecedented" response.

In a statement, Iran's mission to the United Nations also warned against military action, citing the cost of past U.S. wars in the region.

"The last time the U.S. blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over 7 trillion U.S. dollars and lost more than 7,000 American lives," the statement said. "Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests -- but if pushed, it will defend itself."

Iran has also sought to rally regional opposition to any U.S. strike. Officials contacted several Arab states this week, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia and the UAE said they would not allow their airspace to be used for an attack on Iran.

Türkiye, a NATO member that shares a long border with Iran, urged diplomacy. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that Washington should restart nuclear talks with Tehran.

"It's wrong to attack Iran. It's wrong to start another war," Fidan said. He added that Iran was ready to resume negotiations on its nuclear program and called on the United States to address disputes step by step, beginning with the nuclear issue.  ■