President Trump suggested early Wednesday that the U.S. strike a nuclear peace deal with Iran, reiterating his belief that the Islamic Republic should not have nuclear weapons.
Still, Trump added that he wants to see the nation be “successful.”
“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper,” he continued. “We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!”
The commander-in-chief did not offer further details about the potential agreement.
His comments come after Trump issued an executive order intending to force Iran’s oil exports to zero. The president also showed openness to holding talks with the nation but also warned that Iran would be “obliterated” if they assassinated him.
“I’m going to sign it, but hopefully we’re not going to have to use it very much,” Trump said Tuesday. “We will see whether or not we can arrange or work out a deal with Iran.”
“We don’t want to be tough on Iran. We don’t want to be tough on anybody,” he continued. “But they just can’t have a nuclear bomb.”
Trump’s tougher stance on Iran resembles the approach during his first term. In 2018, he withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear agreement that was formulated during former President Obama’s administration in 2015. Iran also pulled out of the agreement.
The Islamic Republic has restarted enriching uranium. U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran has deployed a covert team of scientists looking for a faster pathway to developing the bomb if the country’s leadership approves of it, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing current and former American officials.
