Trump Warns Iran’s Supreme Leader as Nuclear Talks Face Uncertainty

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Trump Warns Iran’s Supreme Leader as Nuclear Talks Face Uncertainty

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that he “should be very worried” as planned nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran face growing uncertainty.

Trump made the remarks on Wednesday in excerpts from an interview with NBC News, which is scheduled to air later, amid escalating diplomatic tension and a major U.S. military buildup in the Middle East aimed at pressuring Tehran to return to talks.

“He should be very worried. Yeah, he should be. As you know, they’re negotiating with us,” Trump said.

The comments came as the U.S. president continues to push Iran toward negotiations while reinforcing America’s military posture in the region.

Asked about Iranian protesters, Trump said the United States has supported them, adding that Iran’s internal crisis was the result of U.S. actions.

“That country is a mess right now because of us. We went in, we wiped out their nuclear. Peace in the Middle East,” Trump said.

He argued that the region would not be stable if Iran had retained its nuclear capabilities, claiming Arab nations were deeply threatened by Tehran.

“If we didn’t take out that nuclear, we wouldn’t have peace in the Middle East, because the Arab countries could have never done that. They were very, very afraid of Iran,” he added.

Dispute Over Nuclear Talks Venue

Meanwhile, news outlet Axios reported that the United States has rejected Iran’s request to change the location and format of nuclear talks scheduled for Friday.

The report followed Iranian media claims that indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. would take place in Muscat, Oman, with discussions expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of economic sanctions.

However, Istanbul, Türkiye, had earlier been identified as the planned venue for the talks.

According to Axios, U.S. officials said Washington remains willing to meet this week or next, provided Iran agrees to the originally proposed format.

Rubio: Talks Still Being Worked Out

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that discussions over the venue were ongoing.

“The venue for talks with Iran is still being worked through,” Rubio said.

He stressed that any negotiations must cover Iran’s ballistic missile programme, nuclear activities, regional support for militant groups, and human rights concerns.

“We thought we had an established forum that had been agreed to in Türkiye,” Rubio said, noting conflicting signals from Tehran.

Oman has previously acted as a mediator in indirect U.S.–Iran contacts, while Türkiye has recently taken a more active diplomatic role, alongside other countries seeking to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The United States and Israel continue to accuse Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, including electricity generation.