US President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to Iran, urging the country to abandon its nuclear weapons programme or face the possibility of a military strike, potentially led by Israel.

“If it requires the military, we’re going to have a military,” Trump said. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that  they’ll be the leader of that,” Trump said.

The US has expressed growing concern over Iran’s nuclear advancements, with intelligence suggesting that Tehran is closer than ever to developing a workable nuclear weapon. However, Trump stated on Wednesday that there is currently no definitive timeline for when diplomatic talks with Iran might reach a resolution.

Trump also revealed that direct talks between the US and Iran are set to begin this Saturday, describing the planned meeting as happening at “almost the top” level. He warned that if negotiations fail, Iran would be in “great danger” as it cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.

He did not provide details on the location of the talks or the officials involved, but repeatedly emphasised that discussions would take place at a “very high level,” during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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