U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Wednesday that President Donald Trump will continue pursuing diplomacy with Iran but is fully prepared to use America's military if Tehran refuses to reach an agreement, declaring that "all options are on the table."

Appearing on Newsmax's "National Report," Whitaker said the administration remains focused on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon while giving negotiations every opportunity to succeed.

"All options are on the table," Whitaker said. "We continue to have these negotiations, fully expect progress will be made. The Strait of Hormuz continues to move and traffic continues to transit. But there's just certain things that we have red lines."

"The first thing is, obviously, that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon," he continued. "That's one red line that President Trump's been very clear about."

Whitaker said Trump believes diplomacy should continue as long as negotiations are making headway, but emphasized that military force remains a credible option if Iran walks away from the table.

"He also understands that as long as we're progressing and making progress, I think the talks and diplomacy should continue," Whitaker said. "But he always holds all the cards. And what I can tell you is that we have the most powerful military in the world, and that military, if necessary, can be used.

"And it can be used in a devastating way to bring Iran back if they need to come back to the table," he added.

Whitaker also addressed reports that Iran has made sanctions relief and financial incentives a central demand in the negotiations, arguing that the regime's weakened military and economic position explains why it is seeking money.

"Iran desperately needs money," he said. "We blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, they couldn't export oil. Their navy is on the bottom of the ocean. Their air force is gone. All of their capabilities have been dramatically degraded."

The ambassador said those setbacks have left Tehran with little leverage despite its public demands.

"The United States is offering a way forward, and Iran needs to continue on that path," Whitaker said. "But no U.S. taxpayer dollars are going to Iran. Let's be clear about that."

He also dismissed suggestions that the memorandum of understanding governing the negotiations was designed to provide Iran with financial concessions.

"The MOU was in place to kind of give some guardrails as to what we needed to talk about and come to an agreement," Whitaker said. "As you mentioned at the top of this segment, there are technical negotiations ongoing, some very specific things that we're trying to accomplish."

Whitaker said Trump remains committed to a negotiated settlement but retains every available option if diplomacy fails.

"President Trump is the negotiator in chief," Whitaker said. "He is a peacemaker, but he continues to be able to use all of the tools in his toolbox, if necessary."

GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!

Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.

You need to watch NEWSMAX today.

Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!

Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now

BEST OFFER:

Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.

Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.

Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!

Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.

Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!

Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com