Trump says Iran 'will not' get nuclear weapons

US President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, describing the country's leadership as "very violent, evil people" in an interview with Fox News. "You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said, claiming that Tehran would have used such weapons to destroy Israel and devastate the Middle East had his administration not prevented it.

Claims of preventing destruction

Trump asserted that his presidency alone has prevented the destruction of Israel and possibly the wider region, suggesting that Democratic opponents desire American defeat in current military engagements. "If I weren't president, Israel would be gone. There would be no Israel. And there would probably be no Middle East," he stated, adding that the United States or Europe might have become subsequent targets.

US blockade and military pressure

The president praised the effectiveness of the American blockade against Iran, claiming that Washington is inflicting damage unprecedented in scale on the Islamic Republic. Trump said the US is "hitting them very hard," describing the military and economic pressure as an "unbelievable" success, though he acknowledged surprise when Tehran began targeting Gulf countries at the start of the war.

Political context

Trump characterized Iran as a "failing nation" and accused Democrats of wanting the United States to lose its wars against both Tehran and Caracas, insisting Washington is "absolutely winning easily." The president said Iran's decision to attack Gulf states at the war's outset caused the country to lose international support, noting that "everybody was shocked" by the expansion of hostilities beyond initial boundaries.