Trump: If Iran had a nuclear weapon, the Middle East would have disappeared

Washington – Agencies: U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States should have intervened in the Middle East to prevent Iran from using a nuclear weapon against Israel and regional countries, and possibly the United States. In an interview with Fox News yesterday, Trump affirmed that “Iran cannot be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, and it will not possess one, because if it did, it would use it against regional countries, Israel, and possibly Europe or the United States.” He added, “We cannot allow that to happen,” and continued, “We should have put out a fire in the Middle East to prevent Iran from using a nuclear weapon.”

Trump’s remarks came shortly after the U.S. military launched attacks targeting Iranian missile launch platforms on the small Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first strike against the Islamic Republic since late July, prompting Tehran to respond. Iran requires prior coordination with it for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States emphasizes freedom of navigation and asserts that it controls the strait. In this context, Trump told Fox News, “Iran may be a nuisance, but we control the Strait of Hormuz, and we have removed all the mines from it with very limited help from other countries.” He further stated, “Iran has become a failed state due to the blockade on its ports and U.S. financial pressures.”

The U.S. president affirmed that “once we win the war, we will have near-total control over the Strait of Hormuz.” Regarding tensions with NATO allies and trade disputes with Canada, Trump clarified that Washington cannot continue to support countries that do not stand by it, referring to the conflict with Iran. He told Fox News, “Canada thinks it is a U.S. state, but it is not. Why should we support it?” He added, “We are imposing very strict conditions on Canada, and we have been incurring losses exceeding $60 billion annually for years.”