President Donald Trump reiterated on Thursday that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. These remarks were made during an interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity. Hannity inquired about reports suggesting that Iran could be mere months away from obtaining a nuclear weapon and whether this could lead to military action by the US or Israel against Iran’s refineries.
Although Trump refrained from providing specific details about his strategy, he did express confidence that, had he won the 2020 election, he would have successfully negotiated a deal with Iran. “The only thing I’ve said about Iran—and I want them to have a great country. They have great potential. The people are amazing. The only thing I’ve said about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump emphasized.
When Hannity asked whether Trump trusted Iran to adhere to any agreement, the President responded, “There are ways that you can make it absolutely certain, if you make a deal, a certain type of a deal. And you have to verify times 10. Yeah. But they cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump then warned of the broader consequences should Iran succeed in developing a nuclear bomb. “You know, if they get one, you’re going to have everyone else getting them, and then the whole thing is going to be a disaster. You know, I was dealing at the very end with Putin about the denuclearization of Russia and the United States, and then we were going to bring China along on that one, because they have much less than we do. China, believe it or not, is much less. They will have an equal amount in five years, six years. You know, they’re trying to get there, unfortunately. But right now, they have much less in terms of nuclear.”
He also shared that he was on the verge of securing a deal with Russian President Putin regarding nuclear disarmament. “I was very close to having a deal. I would have made a deal with Putin on that denuclearization. It’s very dangerous and very expensive, and that would have been great. But we had a bad election that interrupted us, and that’s why I’m here now,” he added.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after he told reporters that it would be “nice” if a resolution to the issues with Iran could be reached without the need for Israel to target its military installations. When asked whether he would approve an attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Trump responded, “I’m not going to answer that,” and mentioned that he would soon meet with top officials to discuss the matter.
“Hopefully that can be worked out without having to worry about it. It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step,” he expressed. “Iran will hopefully make a deal, and if they don’t make a deal that’s okay too,” Trump added.
During his first presidential term, Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers. In response to this move, Iran began to reduce its compliance with the terms of the deal. Most recently, Iran notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its plan to significantly increase its uranium enrichment to levels up to 60 percent.
In related developments, earlier this month, Iranian officials participated in nuclear discussions with representatives from Britain, France, and Germany. Both sides characterized the talks as “frank and constructive.” Meanwhile, the Biden administration had attempted to reinstate the 2015 deal through indirect talks with Iran, but these efforts ultimately faltered as Iran insisted on closing UN nuclear watchdog investigations into its nuclear facilities.
{Matzav.com}