President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran is "playing us for suckers" in ongoing nuclear negotiations and warned that U.S. military strikes will continue after recent attacks on American assets.

Speaking during a White House press conference, Trump said Iran had delayed reaching an agreement that would permanently bar it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along," he said. "They keep playing us for suckers because you know what? They dealt with some very stupid presidents."

Trump's comments came after he was asked about a social media post in which he said Iran had taken too long to reach a deal and would now "have to pay the price."

Earlier Wednesday, Trump signaled he may be prepared to increase pressure on Tehran if negotiations continue to stall.

Reuters reported that Trump, in a phone interview with another news outlet, said he could order additional strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, because Iran is taking too long to reach a nuclear agreement.

Trump has repeatedly maintained that any deal must permanently prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and limit its ability to threaten U.S. allies in the Middle East.

"We're going to be attacking them and attacking them very hard," Trump told reporters when asked to clarify his remarks.

Trump referenced an incident involving a U.S. helicopter that he said was fired upon by Iran. He said the aircraft was struck by a bomb that failed to explode and credited the pilots with safely handling the situation.

"We actually have the bomb. Got very lucky that the bomb didn't explode," Trump said. "Fortunately, the pilots are OK

Trump said Iran initially denied responsibility before acknowledging its role. He also pointed to recent U.S. military action against Iranian targets.

"We hit them hard yesterday, and we're going to hit them again hard today," he said. "We'll see what happens with the deal."

Despite the military escalation, Trump said he remains open to an agreement, describing the administration's proposal as one that would permanently prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

"It's a good deal. It doesn't give them the right to have a nuclear weapon. In fact, it totally prohibits them from ever having a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

Trump contrasted his approach with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiated during former President Barack Obama's administration, calling it "the worst deal" and contending it provided a pathway for Iran to eventually obtain a nuclear weapon.

"This is a path against nuclear. You can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

He also said Pakistani officials have been encouraging Iran to reach an agreement, crediting Pakistan with helping facilitate discussions after what he described as his efforts to prevent a conflict between Pakistan and India.

"We want a deal that's meaningful. We want a deal that works," Trump said.