Trump pushes Iran to reach nuclear deal amid U.S. military buildup nearby

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that if Iran does not reach a deal over its nuclear program, "we'll find out" whether Iran's supreme leader was correct in predicting that a U.S. attack on the country would spark a regional war.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier warned that any attack on his country would spark a regional conflict, as the United States continues to build up its forces nearby.

Commenting on Khamenei's remarks, Trump said the United States has deployed what he described as the world's "biggest, most powerful" naval forces to the region and expressed hope that negotiations would lead to an agreement. "Hopefully we'll make a deal," he said.

"We don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right," Trump added.

Trump said Iran began negotiations with the United States on Saturday.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said the same day that Trump has made clear demands of Iran, with the next steps depending on decisions by Iran's leadership. He added that Trump "won't wait forever" for those demands to be met. "The president has been very clear on Iran."

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear agreement with the United States remains achievable in the short term, provided Washington abandons its policy of coercion.

Iran's top security official Ali Larijani had previously said a framework for negotiations was progressing.

Tensions have remained high amid increased U.S. military activity in the region. Trump has sent a "massive armada" to Iran. Meanwhile, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer recently made a port call in Eilat, an Israeli port city at the northern tip of the Red Sea.