Trump news at a glance: president says not letting Iran have nuclear weapon ‘only thing that matters’

Trump Iran nuclear: President declares blocking Tehran bomb ‘only thing that matters’

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

Donald Trump said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons outweighs all other US foreign policy goals.

The president issued the blunt assessment during a brief exchange with reporters at the White House. His comments came as administration officials review military options against Tehran’s expanding atomic program.

The remarks signal a potential shift toward more confrontational posture after 16 months of stalled diplomacy. Iran has enriched uranium to 83 percent purity, weapons-grade fuel. Israeli intelligence warns the Islamic Republic could build a bomb within weeks.

Trump told journalists outside the Oval Office that negotiated limits on Iranian nuclear activity had failed. “The Iran nuclear deal was the stupidest agreement ever signed,” he said. The 2015 accord restricted Tehran’s program in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump withdrew the United States from the pact in 2018.

Current uranium stockpiles exceed 2021 levels by 21 times according to International Atomic Energy Agency data released Monday. Iranian officials maintain their program serves civilian energy purposes. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated this position in a speech last week.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed senators Tuesday on contingency plans for possible strikes against Iranian facilities. The closed-door session lasted 90 minutes. Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, emerged saying military options remained “very much on the table.”

European allies expressed concern about renewed escalation. European Union foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano told reporters in Brussels that diplomacy offered the “only sustainable path forward.” Germany’s foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador Wednesday to protest recent missile tests.

Oil markets reacted sharply to Trump’s comments. Brent crude futures jumped $3.42 to $78.15 per barrel. The spike reflects trader fears over potential disruption to shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies transit the narrow waterway.

Iranian currency plummeted to new lows on black market exchanges. The rial traded at 690,000 against the US dollar Wednesday, down from 610,000 last week. Economic sanctions have already cut Iranian oil exports by half since 2022.

Regional governments began calculating risks. Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry activated emergency coordination protocols with Gulf allies. The United Arab Emirates moved additional missile defense batteries to Abu Dhabi. Kuwait’s cabinet held an extraordinary session Tuesday evening.

Israeli officials welcomed Trump’s stated priority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement endorsing “maximum pressure” on Tehran. The two leaders spoke by phone Tuesday night according to Israeli media reports.

Democratic lawmakers criticized the administration’s approach. Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, warned that bombing Iranian facilities could trigger wider war. “There’s no military solution to this nuclear challenge,” Murphy told MSNBC. His party controls 48 Senate seats after losing 4 in November elections.

Background

Iran’s nuclear program began in the 1950s under US assistance through the Atoms for Peace initiative. The Islamic Republic restarted efforts after its 1979 revolution. Secret facilities were revealed in 2002, triggering international sanctions.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action capped Iranian enrichment at 3.67 percent. Trump abandoned the deal arguing it failed to address ballistic missiles or regional activities. European signatories attempted to preserve the agreement but Iran began exceeding limits in 2019.

What’s Next

The UN Security Council meets Friday to discuss Iran’s nuclear advances. US Ambassador to the UN Elise Stefanik will press for expanded sanctions. Russia and China hold veto power over any binding measures. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visits Washington next week for talks on coordinated response plans.