National security adviser Mike Waltz stated on Sunday that the U.S. is prepared to consider all possible measures to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In an interview on ABC News’s “This Week,” anchor Martha Raddatz questioned Waltz about President Trump’s warning to Iran from the previous week, in which he insisted that Iran would not be permitted to possess a nuclear weapon, and that “something would happen very soon ‘that will solve the problem if there is no peace deal,’” as Raddatz quoted the president, referring to nuclear arms.
Raddatz pressed further, asking, “So, what is he talking about? Is he talking about a possible strike on the nuclear facilities by Israel, and would the U.S. join in that?”
Waltz responded, stating, “Well, what the president has… repeatedly said is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
He continued, emphasizing, “All options are on the table to ensure it does not have one. And that’s all aspects of Iran’s program. That’s the missiles, the weaponization, the enrichment. They can either hand it over and give it up in a way that is verifiable, or they can face a whole series of other consequences.”
Waltz stressed the severity of the situation, adding, “But, either way, we cannot have a world with the ayatollahs with their finger on the nuclear button. We cannot have a situation that would result in an arms race across the Middle East in terms of nuclear proliferation. And President Trump is determined, one way or another.”
In 2018, President Trump made the decision to pull the U.S. out of the nuclear agreement with Iran, an accord established during former President Obama’s administration. Additionally, he authorized the U.S.-led strike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
Trump has signaled his interest in reopening negotiations for a new nuclear deal with Iran. Earlier this month, he revealed that he had sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stating, “I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing,” as Trump mentioned in an interview on Fox News.
However, Iran’s supreme leader rejected the proposal, claiming it was merely a tactic by Washington to impose new demands and restrict Iran’s military options.
Iran’s supreme leader responded, “Some coercive governments insist on negotiations. Such negotiations aren’t aimed at solving issues. Their aim is to exert their dominance and impose what they want.” He further stated, “For coercive governments, negotiations are a means to impose new demands. Iran will definitely not fulfill these new demands.”
Both the U.S. and Israel have previously voiced opposition to Iran gaining a nuclear weapon, especially as Tehran has advanced its uranium enrichment efforts, bringing it closer to the capability of producing nuclear arms.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, though some Iranian officials have threatened to develop nuclear weapons if the country faces “threats.”

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