Trump warns of new strikes if Iran enriches uranium

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would consider further bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if Tehran’s uranium enrichment reaches levels that raise concerns in Washington.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would consider authorising additional bombing raids against Iran if its uranium enrichment program progresses to a point that concerns the United States.

“Sure, without question, absolutely,” Trump stated when asked about the possibility of new strikes against Iranian nuclear sites. His comments came during a White House news conference where he also backed the idea of inspections at Iranian facilities targeted in last weekend’s attacks.

Trump said he would support inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or another respected body entering Iran to assess the extent of damage caused by the recent bombings.

“I believe those sites were obliterated,” he said, rejecting suggestions that the damage was less severe than reported. Despite his confidence in the impact of U.S. strikes, Trump insisted inspections should proceed to verify the state of the facilities.

The IAEA’s director general, Rafael Grossi, said earlier this week that resuming inspections was his agency’s top priority, noting that none had taken place since Israeli air raids began on June 13.

However, Iran’s parliament voted on Wednesday to suspend such inspections. On Friday, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi indicated Tehran might reject any new requests by the IAEA to visit its nuclear sites.

Trump’s remarks followed comments by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who declared Iran had “slapped America in the face” by launching an attack on a major U.S. base in Qatar in response to the bombing raids.

Asked about the Supreme Leader’s statement, Trump said he planned to respond soon. He also suggested that Iran remains open to dialogue despite the recent escalation, noting that Tehran still wants to meet to discuss the path forward.

The White House clarified on Thursday that no meeting between U.S. and Iranian delegations has been scheduled so far. Nonetheless, Trump said he does not believe Iran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons after the recent strikes carried out by both the U.S. and Israel.

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