US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (May 21 IST) reiterated his administration’s firm stance against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, saying ongoing negotiations with Tehran would ultimately ensure that the country is prevented from developing a nuclear arsenal.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stressed that the United States would achieve its objective “one way or the other,” declaring that Iran would not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon under any circumstances.
“Right now we're negotiating and we'll see, but either we're going to get it one way or the other, they're not going to have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
The POTUS accused sections of the media of selectively reporting his remarks and omitting what he described as the most important part of his message. According to him, preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state remains one of the top priorities of his administration.
“I said, because this is the nuclearisation of a country that some people would say is somewhat crazy. And we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That's all it is,” he remarked.
Trump warned that allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons could trigger a broader regional conflict with global consequences. He argued that a nuclear-armed Iran could destabilise the Middle East and potentially spark a wider war affecting other parts of the world.
“We can't let it. You will have a nuclear war in the Middle East and that war will come here. That war will go to Europe. We cannot let that happen. And it won't happen,” he said.
Emphasising the significance of the issue, Trump stated that he could think of nothing more important than ensuring Iran does not develop nuclear weapons.
“That's more important than anything else that we have to think about. I can think of nothing that's more important than the fact that we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon and we won't,” he added.
During the interaction, Trump was also asked whether Iran would be permitted to retain its stockpile of highly enriched uranium as part of any potential agreement. The President gave a categorical response, rejecting the possibility.
“No, no, we get the highly enriched. We will get it. We don't need it. We don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we're not going to let them have it,” Trump said.
