Trump says he sent a letter to Iran's leader proposing nuclear deal

• Iran's mission to the UN said no letter from Trump had been received.

What he's saying: Trump reiterated in the interview that he wants to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran.

• "The other alternative is you have to do something because Iran can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said in the interview.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday that the coming days "will be interesting" when it comes to Iran.

• "We are down to final strokes with Iran. We are down to the final moments. We can't let them have a nuclear weapon. Something is going to happen very soon. I would rather have a peace deal than the other option but the other option will solve the problem," he said.

Catch up quick: Khamenei said recently that he doesn't support direct talks with the Trump administration because he doesn't trust the U.S.

• Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said last week that he supports a dialogue with the U.S. but will follow Khamenei's advice.

Flashback: Trump's move follows a similar step by former President Barack Obama who sent a letter to Khamenei in 2009 proposing negotiations on a nuclear deal.

• Trump sharply criticized Obama for the nuclear deal after it came together in his second term.
• Trump pulled out of the deal during his first term in office.

The big picture: Iran's nuclear program has made dramatic advances over the last four years and it is closer than ever to producing a nuclear weapon.

• Its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium is enough for six nuclear bombs if enriched to 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Go deeper... Iran 2025: Nuclear crisis awaits Trump

Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect that the letter was sent Wednesday (not Thursday). It was later updated to reflect President Trump's remarks in the Oval Office.