Trump warns Iran of "very traumatic" outcome if no nuclear deal

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with "very traumatic" consequences if it fails to reach a nuclear deal, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is skeptical about the quality of any such deal, AFP reported.

Speaking a day after hosting Netanyahu at the White House, Trump said he hoped for a result "within the next month" from Washington's negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program.

"We have to make a deal, otherwise it will be very traumatic, very traumatic. I don't want that to happen, but we have to make a deal," Trump told reporters.

"It will be very traumatic for Iran if they don't make a deal."

Trump, who is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East to pressure Iran, recalled the US military strikes he ordered on Tehran's nuclear facilities during Israel's twelve-day war with Iran in June last year.

"We'll see if we can make a deal with them, and if we can't, we'll have to move to phase two. Phase two will be very difficult for them," Trump said.

Netanyahu traveled to Washington to pressure Trump to take a harder line in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, particularly regarding the inclusion of the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile arsenal.

However, the Israeli and US leaders apparently remained at odds, with Trump saying after their meeting at the White House on Wednesday that he insisted negotiations continue.

Netanyahu: General skepticism

Netanyahu said in Washington on Thursday, before leaving for Israel, that Trump believes he is laying the groundwork for a deal.

"He believes that the conditions he is creating, combined with the fact that they surely understand that they made a mistake last time when they didn't reach a deal, can create the conditions for reaching a good deal," Netanyahu said, according to a video statement from his office.

But, the Israeli prime minister added: "I will not hide from you that I have expressed general skepticism about the quality of any deal with Iran."

Any deal "must include elements that are very important from our perspective," Netanyahu continued, citing Iran's ballistic missile program and Tehran's support for armed groups like the Palestinian movement Hamas, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"It's not just the nuclear issue," he said.

Despite differences in opinion on Iran, Trump signaled his strong personal support for Netanyahu while criticizing Israeli President Isaac Herzog for refusing his request for a pardon for the prime minister over corruption charges.

"You have a president who refuses to give him a pardon. I think that man should be ashamed," Trump said on Thursday.

Trump has repeatedly hinted at potential US military action against Iran following the deadly crackdown on protests last month, even as Washington and Tehran resumed talks last week with a meeting in Oman.

The last round of talks between the two adversaries was interrupted by Israel's war with Iran and US strikes.

So far, Iran has rejected expanding new talks beyond the issue of its nuclear program. Tehran denies making nuclear weapons and has said it will not yield to "excessive demands" on the matter.