Speaking to reporters after chairing the first-ever live-televised Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump said the administration would maintain pressure on Iran despite ongoing diplomatic talks.
Asked what to expect in the coming weeks, Trump said, “We’re going to hit them hard, and there will come a time when they’re going to say they can’t take it anymore.”
“They (Iran) cannot have nuclear weapons. Iran will not have nuclear weapons and they cannot acquire nuclear weapons. If they did, the Middle East would be completely destroyed by now,” Trump said.
The president said Iran had suffered heavy military losses, but stressed that it still had limited capabilities remaining.
“They have neither a navy, nor an air force, nor anti-aircraft systems. That doesn’t mean they have no capability. They have some capability, but very little,” he said.
When asked if the US had escalated its campaign, Trump replied, “We’ve already taken a massive action. They had 159 ships. That was their entire navy. Their entire navy is now lying at the bottom of the ocean. That’s what I would call a massive action. They had 200 airplanes, they were all destroyed.”
Despite continued talks, Trump questioned Tehran’s credibility in the negotiations.
When asked if a diplomatic settlement was still possible, he said, “I think it could be. I mean, I’m losing trust in them because they lie and misrepresent things.”
He said that Iran’s firing of missiles during the talks has weakened the negotiation process.
“I got a call from Pete saying they fired five missiles at one of our bases in Jordan. The US military intercepted all five of those missiles,” Trump said.
Trump also linked the military campaign against Iran to progress on a proposed agreement for Hamas to give up its weapons.
He said, “So we have reached an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy with this. No one thought it would be possible to withdraw weapons from Hamas. This shows how much success we are having with Iran. Because if you look back four or five months, such a deal would have been impossible.”
When asked if Americans should expect further confrontation with Iran, Trump said there could be some.
“A little bit. They will weaken. They might be a little stronger now, but they will weaken and then their effect will be gone. You have to be always vigilant,” he said.
Trump said the administration is in talks about providing Ukraine with advanced US weapons, such as Patriot air defense systems and Tomahawk missiles, but such technology would be shared cautiously because of its strategic importance.
Responding to another question about the war between Russia and Ukraine, Trump said that Moscow and Kyiv will ultimately have to reach a compromise to end this conflict.
“Both sides will have to make some compromises. Every month 25,000 youth are losing their lives,” he said.
The conversation took place as Trump convened his Cabinet meeting in Maryland. The White House described it as the first such Cabinet meeting at Camp David to be broadcast live on television. Before reporters questioned the president on Iran, the Middle East, Ukraine and other issues, Cabinet members outlined the administration’s stance on the economy, defense, health care, foreign policy and domestic priorities.
Trump has consistently maintained that Iran should never possess nuclear weapons. He has established three main pillars of his Iran policy: economic sanctions, military pressure, and diplomacy. His administration has also sought to enhance regional security arrangements, including Israel, while increasing pressure on Tehran’s military and financial networks.
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