US NATO ambassador says Trump won’t wait ‘forever’ for Iran to agree to a deal
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US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said that President Donald Trump has made clear demands from Iran and that what happens next will be up to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the American naval fleet patrols the region. He added that he “won’t wait forever” for Trump’s ultimatum to be met.
NATO Ambassador Matt Whitaker said on “The Big Weekend Spectacular” on Saturday: “The President has been very clear on Iran… you cannot have a nuclear weapon and you must stop killing protesters in your streets.”
“That’s a pretty clear red line.”
TRUMP SAID IRAN HAS ALREADY COMPLIED WITH US CONDITIONS AS THE CLOCK IS TIPPING FOR A MILITARY ATTACK
President Donald Trump has demanded that Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei abandon his nuclear ambitions and stop suppressing protests. (Chip Somodevilla; Iranian Leader Press Office/Anatolia)
Whitaker described the “navy off the coast of Iran” as both a show of force and an “off-ramp.” He said the Iranians could “de-escalate tensions very easily and simply” by abandoning their nuclear ambitions and stopping the suppression of protests.
“We’ll see. The ball is in their court,” he said. “But you know, President Trump isn’t going to be patient on this forever.”
GULF MARITIME OPERATIONS WILL STOP NEAR IRAN; THE USA IS SILENTLY PREPARING FOR A POSSIBLE ATTACK: ‘THE RISK IS INCREASING’
A US naval official confirmed the naval “armada’s” final locations in the Middle East to Fox News on January 29, 2026. (Fox News)
He emphasized that Trump’s goal is not to destabilize Iran amid reports that the president may consider military action.
Trump said on Saturday that he believed Tehran was engaged in “serious” negotiations with the United States and hoped an “acceptable” agreement could be reached.
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But on Sunday the speaker of Iran’s parliament said the Islamic Republic now views all European Union armies as terrorist groups after the bloc was declared the country’s paramilitary organization. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist group for its crackdown on protests across the country.
This action raised concerns that Iran could strike the United States’ NATO allies if the United States attacked again, following Operation Midnight Hammer in June, which targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
