Trump: Iran has to ‘move quickly’ on new nuclear deal proposal

President Trump said Friday that Iran has to move quickly on a new nuclear deal proposal, after he teased that the U.S. and Iran are inching closer to an agreement.

Trump confirmed to reporters on Air Force One on his way back to Washington from the Middle East that the U.S. has given Iran a formal proposal for a new nuclear agreement, adding, “more importantly, they know they have to move quickly.”

“Something bad’s going to happen,” the president added.

Trump also said in an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Special Report” that there is not a lot of time for negotiations to occur.

“Iran wants to trade with us, okay, if you can believe that. And I’m OK with it,” the president told host Bret Baier. “I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace. But I’ve told Iran we make a deal.”

He added, “There’s not plenty of time. They’s not plenty of time.”

The president on Thursday, while in Qatar, told reporters the U.S. and Iran were in “very serious negotiations” for “long-term peace.” Reuters reported an Iranian source familiar with negotiations said there were still gaps between the two sides.

Officials from Iran and the U.S. have been engaged in talks in recent weeks around Tehran’s nuclear program and Trump recently has taken a softer tone toward Tehran and signaled he could be open to the country having a civilian nuclear program.

The president on Wednesday, while in Saudi Arabia, urged Iran to stop supporting proxy groups to strike a nuclear deal with the U.S.