President Donald Trump is sending both carrots and sticks towards Iran, stepping up military assets in the Middle East while also signaling talks are still on the table.

The U.S. is pressing to hold direct nuclear talks with Iran, U.S. officials say, as the Trump administration seeks an ambitious goal: dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program. If Iran agreed to engage, the talks would be the first sustained direct negotiations between the two countries since President Trump withdrew from the previous nuclear agreement in 2018.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he wanted "direct talks" with Tehran on a nuclear deal, after he threatened to bomb Iran if it develops nuclear weapons. Trump has given Iran's leaders a two-month deadline to reach an agreement on the country's nuclear program, which has strained relations with Western nations for decades.