U.S. President Donald Trump warned Monday that the United States would either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job,” prompting fresh threats from Tehran as negotiations over a permanent ceasefire and a broader agreement are expected to resume this week.

“We’re either going to make a deal or we’re going to finish the job,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on July 6. “And it won’t be tough to finish the job. I’d rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people.”

Trump said the United States retained the military capability to cripple Iran’s infrastructure should diplomacy fail. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour, we can knock out their energy supply,” he said, adding that Iran “doesn’t have any money now” and that Washington had not provided Tehran with funds.

“I say to the delusional president of the United States, who today threatened 91 million Iranians: Speak to the Iranian people with respect, or we will respond to you in another language.” — Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

Iran responded defiantly. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that Tehran would respond “in another language” unless Trump spoke to the Iranian people “with respect,” in remarks carried by Iranian state media.

Talks Set to Resume in Pakistan

The sharp exchange comes as the United States and Iran continue efforts to convert a temporary ceasefire into a permanent agreement following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. Talks reportedly ended last week without a breakthrough, though negotiations are expected to resume in Pakistan on July 11.

The renewed diplomatic push follows weeks of military escalation, including U.S. strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz in response to alleged ceasefire violations. Trump has warned that if Iran continues to violate the ceasefire, the United States may be forced to “militarily complete the job.”

Nuclear Program and Sanctions on the Table

The expected talks are also set to address Iran’s nuclear program, economic sanctions, and frozen assets tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Both sides have signaled that a durable settlement will require movement on all three fronts, though neither Washington nor Tehran has offered public detail on where compromise may be possible.

A Region Still Mourning, Still Watching

Tensions remain high as Iran holds funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the conflict. Trump said Washington had given Tehran “a week off” for the funeral proceedings before indirect negotiations resumed — a gesture the administration has framed as restraint rather than retreat.

For the interfaith and pro-peace communities Faith & Freedom News covers closely, the coming days carry real stakes: a durable U.S.-Iran settlement could ease pressure on Iranian proxies across Lebanon and the wider region, reinforcing the momentum of the Abraham Accords and the broader push toward coexistence. FFN will continue to track the talks in Pakistan and their implications for regional stability as they develop.