State Department Deputy Spokesman Says Iran Must Accept Deal Because ‘Alternatives Will Be Very Bad’

State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott warned Iran on Tuesday that “the alternatives will be very bad” if it “rejects a diplomatic solution” regarding its nuclear program.

When asked on Tuesday if diplomatic talks being held this weekend would lead to Iran suspending its program, Pigott told Newsmax that “we will have to wait and see” what the results are from the discussions.

President Trump announced the talks on Monday, saying that “everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious.”

Pigott said the hope is for a “diplomatic solution” to the nuclear issue. 

“That’s what President Trump has been pushing for,” he said. “But at the same time, we have that maximum pressure policy to drive the revenue the Iranian regime is getting from their illicit oil sales to zero. So they can’t use that revenue to fund their malign activities like their nuclear program, like their terrorist proxies.

“Ultimately, President Trump has been very clear here … we want to have a diplomatic solution to this issue,” he continued. “But if Iran, the Iranian regime, rejects a diplomatic solution, the alternatives will be very bad for Iran.”

Nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee spoke similarly, stating earlier this week that Trump “is not kidding around” and Iran “better take him seriously.”

Trump has “made it clear — there’s no way Iran is ever going to have a nuclear weapon,” Huckabee said. 

“They know that Donald Trump means business,” he added. 

Trump also warned on Monday that it would be “a very bad day for Iran” if there is no deal struck.