Trump Says US in 'Deep Negotiations' with Iran, Threatens to 'Blow Everything Up' if No Deal by Tuesday

US President Donald Trump told Axios in an interview that the United States is in "deep negotiations" with Iran and that a deal could be reached before his Tuesday deadline. Trump said: "There's a good chance, but if they don't make a deal, I will blow everything up there." In a phone call to Axios, he said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are conducting intensive negotiations. The US president, emphasizing that "negotiations are going well, but you never get to the finish line with Iranians," added that a few days ago the United States and Iran had come close to agreeing to hold direct talks. Referring to Wednesday's attack on the Bilqan Bridge in Karaj, Trump said: "But they said they would meet with us in another five days. So I said: why five days? I felt they weren't serious. So we attacked the bridge." Two sources involved in the negotiations said talks are being conducted through Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish intermediaries, as well as via text messages between Trump's advisers and Abbas Araghchi, the Islamic Republic's Foreign Minister. According to Axios, Trump on Sunday again threatened that if he cannot reach a deal with Iranian leaders, he would "destroy infrastructure that is vital to Iranian civilians." He posted on Truth Social that if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz, he would bomb Iranian power plants and bridges starting Tuesday. When asked whether he was concerned about harming innocent Iranian civilians, Trump said he believes civilians who oppose their government would support such strikes to weaken the regime. He said, "They live in fear. They are afraid that we will leave in the middle of the war, but we are not going to leave."