Waltz tells Iran to give up nuclear program or 'there will be consequences'

Waltz said it was time for Iran to "walk away completely" from its pursuit of nuclear weapons, pushing for a "full dismantlement" during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"This isn't some kind of, you know, kind of tit-for-tat that we had under the Obama administration or Biden," Waltz said. "This is the full program. Give it up or there will be consequences."

"If [Iran] had nuclear weapons, the entire Middle East would explode in an arms race," he said. "That is completely unacceptable to our national security. I won't get into what the back-and-forth has been, but Iran is in the worst place it has been from its own national security since 1979."

Trump has threatened U.S. military action if Iran doesn't negotiate a new agreement on its nuclear program.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said he isn't interested in talks with a "bullying government," though Iranian diplomats, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, previously suggested that talks could be possible. Araghchi later toughened his stance, following Khamenei's lead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.