Trump warns of possible strike if Iran rebuilds nuclear facilities
text_fieldsThe Hague: United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that Washington would carry out another military strike on Iran if it attempts to rebuild its nuclear facilities. Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague, Trump confirmed that the U.S. would not hesitate to act again if Tehran revives its nuclear enrichment programme.
“Sure,” Trump said in response to a question about whether the U.S. would launch another strike if Iran resumed its nuclear activities. He further declared, “We will not let that happen. Number one, militarily. I think we will end up having somewhat of a relationship with Iran,” according to Xinhua news agency.
Earlier in the day, Trump dismissed a recent U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) report that contradicted the administration’s claim that American strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities.
The intelligence report, revealed by U.S. media outlets CNN and The New York Times, suggested that the strikes only delayed Iran’s nuclear programme by a few months and that much of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile had been relocated before the attacks.
Trump lashed out at both media outlets in a Truth Social post, stating, “Fake news CNN, together with the failing New York Times, have teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public.”
In an interview with Fox News, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, condemned the leak of the DIA report, calling it “treasonous” and demanding accountability.
“It goes without saying that leaking that type of information — whatever the information, whatever side it comes out on — is outrageous. It's treasonous,” Witkoff said. “So, it ought to be investigated, and whoever did it — whoever's responsible for it — should be held accountable. It could hurt lives in the future. Leaking is a completely unacceptable thing.”
With IANS inputs