The United States has issued new threats against Tehran after a second round of nuclear talks, as Iran and Russia announced joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman to deter any “unilateral action” in the region.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that “Iran would be very wise to make a deal” with US President Donald Trump, after indirect talks in the Swiss city of Geneva ended without a significant breakthrough.

Leavitt told reporters that while some progress was made on Tuesday, “we’re still very apart on some issues”.

Trump – who has deployed two US aircraft carriers and thousands of troops to the Gulf region – escalated his rhetoric on social media.

“Should Iran decide not to make a Deal,” the US may need to use an Indian Ocean airbase in the Chagos Islands, “in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime”, he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

A previous negotiating effort collapsed last year when Israel launched attacks on Iran, triggering a 12-day war that Washington joined in by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

Barbara Slavin, a distinguished Fellow at the Stimson Center, said she expected further attacks on Iran by the US and Israel, possibly in the near term.