Donald Trump says he reached out to Iran’s supreme leader over advancing nuclear programme

US President Donald Trump has said that he sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, regarding a potential nuclear deal.

In an interview aired on Friday by Fox Business News, President Donald Trump said he had reached out to Iran’s leadership to negotiate a nuclear deal.

“I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing,’” Trump said.

The White House later confirmed Trump’s remarks, saying that he had sent a letter to Iranian officials proposing talks. The full interview is set to air on Sunday.

“I would rather negotiate a deal. I’m not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily,” Trump added.

“But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something’s going to happen one way or the other,” he said.

“I hope you’re going to negotiate because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran and I think they want to get that letter. The other alternative is we have to do something because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” the US President said.

Iran has long insisted that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. However, as tensions with the US persist over sanctions and a fragile ceasefire holds in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, Iranian officials have increasingly hinted at the possibility of pursuing nuclear weapons.

Trump’s statement was reported by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, citing the broadcast. However, there was no immediate reaction from the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who, at 85, holds the final say on all state matters.

The Trump administration has consistently emphasised the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons since his return to the White House.

However, a recent report from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog indicated that Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium.