Trump says Iran is not ready to sign a deal, warns of military action

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday evening that Iran is not ready to sign an agreement, though he described ongoing contacts as serious. "We are talking to the Iranians right now, I think they are serious. We'll see where the talks go," Trump said. The U.S. president also said ammunition was in place for a large-scale operation against Iran and called on Tehran to take a more serious approach. He argued that the United States would not allow Iran to act as a "bully" in the region and claimed Iran no longer has a navy, radar stations or air defense capability. Tensions between Washington and Tehran are in their second week. Trump announced earlier that the ceasefire outlined in a memorandum of understanding signed on June 18 would end on July 8, following Iran's targeting of three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has been implementing a mechanism to regulate ship passage through the strategic waterway, while Washington has been demanding that navigation in the strait be secured.