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Can Donald Trump convince Iran to stop pursuing nuclear weapons? In his first media appearance on this week’s Middle East tour, Trump offered an olive branch — if Iran is truly interested in peace and security for the region. He offered Tehran « a new and better path » by dismantling its enrichment systems and ending its provocative proxy wars:
President Donald Trump in a speech in Saudi Arabia will urge Iran to take a “new and a better path” as he pushes for new nuclear deal.
Trump, according to excerpts of the speech to be delivered at the U.S.-Saudi investment conference, will also say he wants to avoid conflict with Tehran.
“As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be profound,” Trump will say.
Trump then went on to warn what would happen if Iran didn’t take the opportunity to end its nuclear-weapons pursuit:
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
During remarks at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, Pres. Trump warned that if Iran rejects his “olive branch” about a nuclear deal, “then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure.” https://t.co/QLVRcevdB6 pic.twitter.com/AHO8ikpM8a— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) May 13, 2025
To emphasize that choice, the US increased sanctions on an Iranian oil-distribution network, even while talks progressed. The Iranians praised the engagement but sharply criticized the sanctions:
The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a shipping network it says has sent millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China, the State Department said, two days after Washington and Tehran held a fourth round of talks in Oman on Iran’s nuclear programme.
« The talks were useful » Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told local media.
« In recent days they [the U.S.] issued sanctions on Iran, this is completely incompatible with the process of negotiations. This will definitely affect our positions », Baghaei said on the sidelines of a book fair.
That was the purpose of those sanctions — to « affect » Iranian positions. The Iranians refuse to admit that they have been and still are pursuing nuclear weapons, despite the exposure of decades of deceit on the topic. Tehran has refused to stop its uranium enrichment activities as part of the deal, claiming that all such activities are in pursuit of peaceful nuclear energy for domestic use, even though their enrichment levels far exceed the necessary threshold for peaceful power generation.
