Trump reiterates threat to use military force if Iran does not agree to nuclear deal

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday repeated his threat to use military force if Iran did not agree to end its nuclear program, saying Israel would play a key role in any military action.

Trump said Iran could not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and if it declined to stop development efforts, military action could follow.

"I'm not asking for much ... but they can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters after signing several executive orders in the Oval Office.

"If it requires military, we're going to have military. Israel will, obviously, be ... the leader of that. No one leads us. We do what we want."

He declined to address when any military action could begin.

"I don't want to be specific. But when you start talks, you know if they're going along well or not. And I would say the conclusion would be when I think they're not going along well," Trump said.

Trump on Monday made a surprise announcement that the United States and Iran were poised to begin direct talks on Tehran's nuclear program on Saturday, warning that Iran would be in "great danger" if the talks were unsuccessful.

Iran, which had pushed against Trump's demands in recent weeks, said indirect talks would be held in Oman, underscoring the differences between the two countries.

Reuters