PORT HURON: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran would never acquire nuclear weapons, claiming American military operations had destroyed its enrichment capacity during remarks at a Michigan campaign rally.
He suggested the confrontation would end soon but did not specify whether he meant a diplomatic agreement or further military action.
“You’ll see that ending quite soon, one way or the other,” Trump said.
Referring to Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury, he asserted that the United States had defeated Iran militarily and financially. His assessment of the damage remains a claim rather than an independently established finding.
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Trump also defended withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated during former President Barack Obama’s administration. He characterised the accord as dangerous and argued that it would have allowed Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.
His comments came during a wider Republican campaign rally at McMorran Place Arena before the US midterm elections.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had separately denied on October 16 that Tehran was seeking nuclear weapons. In remarks issued by his office, he said he was ready for dialogue but rejected pressure to surrender.
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Those comments preceded Trump’s Michigan speech and were not a response to it.
Meanwhile, regional diplomatic efforts continued on Monday. Delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey met Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss regional security and efforts to prevent renewed fighting.
Qatar also sent mediators to support negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Iran maintained that diplomacy remained possible but rejected US demands it characterised as requiring complete surrender.
(With input from MLive, Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press)
