US President Donald Trump has warned Iran of serious consequences if it does not change course, days after Tehran threatened a ‘decisive war’ in response to American pressure.

Trump laid out the options facing Tehran in stark terms: destruction, economic collapse, or diplomacy. Iran, for its part, has said that any American attack would face retaliation without limitations.

Trump’s ultimatum

The president’s warning is the sharpest US rhetoric toward Iran in recent months. By publicly listing destruction and economic collapse alongside diplomacy, Trump appeared to be presenting Tehran with a choice between negotiation and confrontation.

The remarks follow a period of escalating tensions, with Washington pressing Tehran over its regional activities and nuclear programme while keeping the threat of military action on the table.

Iran’s response

Iran’s military command responded defiantly, stating that any US attack would be met with retaliation without limitations. The message was clearly aimed at deterring Washington from turning threats into action.

Tehran has also relayed its conditions for a truce to the United States through Qatar, which has frequently acted as an intermediary between the two countries. The back-channel communication suggests that despite the heated rhetoric, diplomatic avenues remain open.

What happens next

The standoff fits a familiar pattern in US-Iran relations: maximalist public warnings paired with quiet diplomacy through intermediaries. Qatar’s role as a go-between has been central to previous de-escalations.

Whether the current exchange leads to talks or to further escalation will depend on what happens away from the microphones. For now, both sides are talking tough in public while keeping a line open in private.

Analysts note that both Washington and Tehran have incentives to avoid a direct military clash. A wider conflict would roil global energy markets and draw in regional allies, a cost neither side appears eager to pay at this stage.