Washington, DC – US President Donald Trump asserted that Iran would have possessed a nuclear weapon “five years ago” had he not taken the historic step of withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered by the Obama administration. He renewed his attacks on previous Democratic diplomacy and defended his current strategy for achieving a comprehensive détente in the region.
The nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed between Tehran and world powers to restrict Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump subsequently withdrew Washington from the agreement during his first presidential term.
Trump commented, “The Iranians would have done tremendous damage to the world if we hadn’t pulled that pill; it was a direct path to the bomb, and the dumbest deal I’ve ever seen, with the exception of NAFTA.”
Conditions for de-escalation and the nuclear red line
Trump expressed hope that his current diplomatic framework would achieve a resolution to the war. He emphasized that the core issue for U.S. national security had already been settled. He added, “The only thing that really matters to me is that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, and the current draft says that very clearly; they will not develop one, they will not buy one, they will not do anything with one. And if they dare to do it, they will face unbelievable consequences, and hell will come down on them.”
وأوضح الرئيس الأمريكي على هامش قمة مجموعة السبع في إيفيان ليه بان الفرنسية، أن هذا الهاجس كان دافعه الرئيسي والأساسي للمشاركة في المفاوضات والموافقة على التوقيع. وقال أيضاً إنه ضغط شخصياً لإدراج بند صارم يحظر على طهران شراء أو تطوير التقنيات العسكرية الحساسة.
Regime change and the future of governance in Tehran
In a related context, Trump denied that his administration desired to forcibly change the ruling regime in Iran. However, he indicated that the killing of several prominent Iranian military and political leaders in the recent strikes gave the impression that change had already taken place.
Trump’s stance on regimes: The US president stated clearly, “I don’t believe in regime change at all. I’ve seen Washington try to change regimes for many years, and it’s an experience that has proven never successful and only creates chaos.” However, Trump indicated that when the recent military confrontations erupted, he sent a direct message to the Iranians, explicitly urging them to “take over their government,” considering it an internal matter for the Iranian people alone.
