U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is prepared to use military force against Iran if necessary, just days ahead of planned nuclear talks between the two countries.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said, “If it requires military, we're going to have military. Israel will obviously be very much involved in that — they'll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us. We do what we want to do.”
The comments came after Trump announced earlier this week that Washington and Tehran were preparing to begin direct negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. However, Iranian officials later clarified that the talks, set to take place in Oman, would be indirect.
The planned discussions mark a rare opening for diplomacy between the two adversaries, but Trump’s remarks highlight the fragile ground on which the dialogue stands.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have remained high, with Washington accusing Tehran of advancing its nuclear ambitions and supporting armed groups across the region.
Trump’s statement also reflects continued U.S. alignment with Israel on regional security matters, particularly as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that his country would act independently if necessary to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
Iran has yet to publicly respond to Trump’s latest remarks.
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