WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next US attack would be far worse.

“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘come to the table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” Trump wrote in a social media post.

The Republican US president, who pulled out of a 2015 multination nuclear deal with Tehran during his first White House term, noted that his last warning to Iran was followed by a military strike.

“The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again,” Trump wrote. He also said another “armada” is floating toward Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he had not been in contact with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days or requesting negotiations, state media reported earlier on Wednesday.

Turkey urges US to start nuclear talks with Iran
Turkey’s top diplomat urged Washington to start nuclear talks with Iran in an interview broadcast Wednesday, as US warships arrived in the region ahead of a possible strike over Tehran’s protest crackdown.

“It’s wrong to attack Iran. It’s wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television in English.

“My advice has always been to our American friends: close the files one by one with the Iranians. Start with the nuclear issue and close it. Then move on to the others.”

Fidan’s comments after a US naval strike force led by an aircraft carrier took up position in Middle Eastern waters, US Central Command said on Monday, without revealing its precise location.

Washington has not ruled out new military intervention against Tehran over its harsh response to the protests.

Since Iran began its “crackdown” earlier this month accompanied by a nationwide internet blackout, US President Donald Trump has given mixed signals on intervention.

Nato member Turkey, which shares a 530-kilometre (330-mile) border with Iran, has often expressed opposition to military operations targeting the Islamic Republic.

Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the unrest in Iran as a “new test” for Tehran, pledging Turkey would “stand against any initiative” that would drag the region into chaos.

He said he hoped diplomacy and dialogue would help Iran get through this “trap-filled period”.

Speaking to Al-Jazeera, Fidan said the problems with Iran should be tackled individually.

“Do not treat them as a package. If you put everything together as one package, it will be very difficult for our Iranian friends to digest and truly process it,” he said.

“In some cases, it may even seem humiliating for them. It would be hard to explain not only to themselves but also to their leadership.”

The minister made similar comments Friday, telling Turkey’s NTV he had visited Tehran late last year, urging them to “take steps”, saying he believed an agreement with the US on the nuclear issue was “possible”.

“A friend tells the bitter truth and I said what needed to be said,” he said.

Fidan also urged Iran to build trust in the region.

“When I was in Iran two months ago, I was very frank with my Iranian friends. They need to build trust in the region,” he told Al-Jazeera.