President Trump warned Friday “we’re down to the final moments” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon — adding that while he hoped for a negotiated settlement, military action was still possible.
“We have a situation with Iran and something’s going to happen very soon. Very, very soon,you’ll be talking about that pretty soon, I guess,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“Hopefully we can have a peace deal,” the president went on.
President Trump he hopes Iran will negotiate because he’s “not looking to hurt Iran.” REUTERS“I’m not speaking out of strength or weakness. I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other [option] — but the other will solve the problem.”
Earlier, Trump had said “we’re down to the final moments, we’re at final moments — can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
On Friday morning, Trump revealed in a Fox Business Network interview that he had fired off a letter to Iran’s fiercely anti-Western supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the hopes he’ll want to hash out an agreement.
“I said I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,” Trump told anchor Maria Bartiromo.
“I think they want to get that letter. The other alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let another nuclear weapon.”
Trump reportedly addressed the letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER'S WEBSITE/AFP via Getty Images“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” Trump continued.
“I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people.”
Iran’s mission to the United Nations claimed Friday that Tehran officials had not received any missive from Trump.
Trump, 78, has repeatedly said he would like to reach an understanding with Iran that prevents it from developing a atomic weapon.
In 2018, the 45th president pulled out of a nuclear deal agreed by the Obama administration, Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia and the UK — arguing the pact did not contain adequate safeguards to ensure Iran was honoring the agreement and declaring “America will not be held hostage to nuclear blackmail.”
Last month, Trump denied he was working behind the scenes with Israel to “blow Iran into smithereens.”
The US assassinated Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Getty Images“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post at the time.
“Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED.”
Still, Trump has vowed to obliterate the Middle Eastern country if they make any attempt to assassinate him during his current term.
“I’ve left instructions. If they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left, and they shouldn’t be able to do it,” Trump said last month.
Federal investigators say Iran has sought to murder Trump and various officials who served in his first administration as payback for the assassination of notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020.
The country’s agents also allegedly hacked people associated with Trump in an attempt to undermine his 2024 candidacy.
With Post wires
