AMNA NAWAZ: Today, President Trump suggested# he was considering a limited strike on Iran,## while Iran's foreign minister said he# was drafting a new diplomatic proposal## as part of ongoing negotiations.# The public statements come as the## United States continues to deploy a large# number of military assets in the region.

Nick Schifrin has been following# this all and joins us now.

So, Nick, what did we hear# from the president today?

NICK SCHIFRIN: Well, as you said, Amna, the# president suggested that he was considering## a limited strike on Iran in order to try and# convince Iran to accept a diplomatic deal.

That seems to confirm a report# in The Wall Street Journal,## but he said it with a smile in a chaotic# room.

So let's take a listen to the question,## to the answer, and also what he said about# the nature of the deal this afternoon.

QUESTION: Mr.

President,## are you considering a limited military# strike to pressure Iran into a deal?

WOMAN: Thank you, press.

Thank you, press.

QUESTION: Are you considering# a limited strike, sir?

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States:# I guess I can say I am considering that.

They better negotiate a fair deal.

NICK SCHIFRIN: President Trump also# said today that Iran's crackdown## of an unprecedented number of protests last# month killed 32,000 people.

That's a number## I have heard some activists use, but the# U.S.

government has never used before today.

But, remember, Amna, the crackdown was what# started this round of threats.

President## Trump warned that, if Iran killed protesters,# he would respond.

Iran crossed that red line## by the thousands.

But other than Starlinks,# the president never enforced his red line.

AMNA NAWAZ: Nick, is it fair to say, with the# president's statement the number of military## assets in the region, the threat, military# threat, has gone up in the last few days?

NICK SCHIFRIN: Yes, I mean, this is one of the# largest deployments to the Middle East in decades.

Let's take a look at the map, and I# want to point out a few things.

You## see the green triangles there.

Those are the# dozens of bases that the U.S.

has access to## that Iran is threatening to target, the red# triangles, right, two carrier strike groups,## one south of Iran, the other entering# the Mediterranean sailing east.

And all of those yellow dots, more# than a dozen ships, those can fire## missiles toward Iran, but also contribute# to air defense.

In addition to all of that,## there are dozens of additional fighter jets that# have been deployed to the region.

And officials## tell me all of this gives the president# a range of options for military strikes.

AMNA NAWAZ: What do we know# about what Iran's saying how## they would respond to even a limited strike?

NICK SCHIFRIN: So a regional official told# me and other reporters last night that Iran## would respond to even a limited strike# by walking away from the negotiations.

So the idea of a limited strike producing a better# result in negotiations, he said, was not true.

And## that was echoed by every expert I talked to,# and these experts have a range of opinions.

It was also echoed by Iran's foreign minister,## Abbas Araghchi, speaking# on MS NOW's "Morning Joe."

ABBAS ARAGHCHI, Iranian Foreign Minister# (through translator): Military option would## only complicate this, would only bring about# disastrous consequences, not only for us,## perhaps for the whole region.

If you talk with# the Iranian people with the language of respect,## we respond with the same language.

But if# they talk to us with the language of force,## we will reciprocate with the same language.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Araghchi also said that Iran would# finalize a new offer to the U.S.

for diplomatic## talks in the next two to three days.

But he# said that the U.S.

had not asked Iran to freeze## enrichment or to go down to zero enrichment,# which is the administration's public position.

ABBAS ARAGHCHI: What we are now talking about# is how to make sure that Iran's nuclear program,## including enrichment, is peaceful# and would remain peaceful forever.

NICK SCHIFRIN: A White House official tells# me tonight -- quote -- "Iran cannot have## nuclear weapons or the capacity to build# them and they cannot enrich uranium."

That seems to me, Amna, a declarative statement# against Araghchi's claim.

And, again, all experts## saying right now that it's pointing to some# kind of U.S.

military strike in the near future.

AMNA NAWAZ: All right, Nick# Schifrin, thank you very much.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Thank you.