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WASHINGTON — President Trump promised in an interview published Friday that the US will not be “dragged in” to a war with Iran as he seeks to halt the theocratic regime from getting a nuclear weapon.
In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said he wasn’t concerned about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacking Tehran without his OK — but didn’t dismiss the possibility of military action.
“He may go into a war. But we’re not getting dragged in,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “I may go in very willingly if we can’t get a deal. If we don’t make a deal, I’ll be leading the pack.”
Trump also denied reports that he had “stopped” Netanyahu from attacking Iran’s uranium enrichment sites, but added that “I didn’t make it comfortable for them, because I think we can make a deal without the attack.
“I hope we can. It’s possible we’ll have to attack because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” the president said.
“But I didn’t make it comfortable for them, but I didn’t say no. Ultimately I was going to leave that choice to them, but I said I would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped.”
Last week, Netanyahu said in a video address: “I am committed to preventing Iran from attaining nuclear weapons … I won’t give on this, I won’t let up on this, and I won’t withdraw from this — not a millimeter.”
The Israeli PM also claimed if it weren’t for his past actions, “Iran would have had a nuclear weapon 10 years ago.”
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told ABC News “This Week” last month that Trump believes “all options are on the table” to stop Iran from getting the bomb, including strikes that cripple its attempts to stockpile missiles and continue with uranium enrichment.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog noted in February that Tehran’s uranium enrichment was nearing weapons-grade levels.
“We cannot have a world with the ayatollahs with their finger on the nuclear button,” Waltz told co-host Martha Raddatz March 16.
“We cannot have a situation that would result in an arms race across the Middle East in terms of nuclear proliferation. And President Trump is determined, one way or another.”
US and Iranian diplomats have been engaging in indirect talks about Tehran’s nuclear program in the Middle East and Europe — with further deliberations set for Oman this coming weekend.
Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who’s led the discussions, has also backed the termination of Iran’s nuclear program — after briefly hinting at a deal including “verification” of enrichment levels to block Tehran from producing weapons-grade material.
“The conversation with the Iranians will be much about two critical points: One, enrichment, as you mentioned — they do not need to enrich past 3.67%,” Witkoff told Fox News’ Sean Hannity last week. “In some circumstances, they’re at 60%. In other circumstances, 20%.”
“That cannot be and you do not need to run, as they claim, a ‘civil nuclear program’ where you’re enriching past 3.67%, so this is going to be much about verification on the enrichment program,” he added.
Previous meetings in Oman and Rome have allowed the US and Iran to speak from separate rooms through mediators.
State Department policy planning director Michael Anton is expected to lead the third round of talks Saturday, his office told The Times of Israel.
Elsewhere in his Time interview, Trump blasted former President Joe Biden for relaxing sanctions on Iran that allowed its terror proxies to build up munitions — including for Hamas’ invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200, including 46 US citizens.
“There was no money for Hamas. There was no money for Hezbollah. There was no money. Iran was broke under Trump, and you know that, he knows that, broke,” the president said of the Middle East his predecessor inherited.
“When Biden came and he took off all the sanctions, he let China and everybody else buy all the oil, Iran developed $300 billion in cash over a four year period,” he added.
“They started funding terror again, including Hamas. Hamas was out of business. Hezbollah was out of business. Iran had no money under me. I blame the Biden administration, because they allowed Iran to get back into the game without working a deal.”
English (US)