US President Donald Trump again issued threats against Iran on Wednesday, calling on the Middle Eastern country to come to an agreement on its nuclear program.

Trump's comments came in a post on his social media platform as military officials said the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and accompanying vessels arrived in Middle Eastern waters.

What did Trump say to Iran?
"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," Trump said, adding that "a massive armada is heading to Iran."

"As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn't, and there was 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse!"

Operation Midnight Hammer is a reference to the US strikes carried out during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel last year.

Iran says it's ready for dialogue
Iran has rejected efforts to force it to the negotiating table under threats of military action.

"Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in televised comments on Wednesday. "If they want negotiations to take shape, they must certainly set aside threats, excessive demands and raising illogical issues."

Mirroring Trump's random capitalization, Araghchi added in a post on X that Iran would "powerfully respond to ANY aggression."

"Our brave Armed Forces are prepared — with their fingers on the trigger — to immediately and powerfully respond to ANY aggression against our beloved land, air, and sea," he posted. "At the same time, Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL — on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation — which ensures Iran's rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS."

Iran's mission to the UN also posted a response, warning that Iran would defend itself against any US attacks.

"Last time the US blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion 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 AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!"

Trump threatens Iran for second time this year
Wednesday's comments mark the second time this year that the US president has threatened to attack Iran.

His first threats revolved around the major protests that have shaken the theocratic regime in Tehran. Trump said he would strike Iran if protesters were killed, but then rolled back the threat, saying he had been assured that planned executions of protesters had been cancelled.

Iran later denied Trump's claim. The number of protesters being killed has also continued to rise. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded over 6,000 deaths, the vast majority of which were protesters.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday said the Iranian regime's "days are numbered" as it "can only hold onto power through sheer violence and terror against its own population."

"It could be a matter of weeks but this regime has no legitimacy to govern the country," Merz said.

Meanwhile, France on Wednesday backed a move, supported by Italy, for the European Union to include Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the bloc's list of terrorist organizations.

The new threats from Trump appear to revolve around Iran's nuclear program. Tehran has denied that it is aiming to produce nuclear weapons, but has enriched uranium to levels higher than what is needed for mere civilian purposes.

Last year's strikes targeted nuclear facilities, but were widely seen as not having done much to push back the progress of the program.