Trump says Iran’s nuclear capability destroyed, vows it will never be rebuilt
Washington: US President Donald Trump has claimed that American military operations destroyed Iran’s nuclear weapons capability and pledged that Tehran would never be permitted to rebuild it. He presented the campaign against Iran as one of the most significant national security achievements of his second term.
Addressing supporters at a Republican election rally at Northern Kentucky University’s Truist Arena on Saturday, Trump defended the decision to take military action, arguing that the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran posed too serious a threat to the United States.
“They cannot have a nuclear weapon. They can’t because they’ll use it,” he said.
Trump said US forces had targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and that his administration was working to ensure the programme could not be restored. “We have to make sure it doesn’t come back,” he said, referring to directions he had issued to senior officials during the operation.
The President tied the action to his wider claim that American military power had been rebuilt during his presidency and that Washington was once again prepared to confront threats abroad. He noted that the operation began when the US economy and stock market were performing strongly.
Trump admitted that the campaign had required the United States to focus resources and attention on the Middle East. However, he maintained that stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons outweighed any temporary economic cost. He also predicted that fuel prices would fall once the operation was over.
“It’s gonna end very quickly,” he said, adding that petrol prices would drop below earlier levels after the campaign ended.
Returning to the issue later in his address, Trump described the operation as a defining achievement of his administration. “Iran won’t have, doesn’t have, and never will have a nuclear weapon, very simple,” he declared.
He argued that earlier US administrations should have resolved the matter long ago and said his government had demonstrated the determination needed to deal with Tehran. “Should have been done years ago,” he said.
Trump also linked the Iran campaign to other foreign policy issues, including developments concerning Venezuela and Greenland. He highlighted higher US defence spending, saying his administration and the Republican-led Congress had allocated more than $1 trillion to the armed forces.
The President asserted that the United States possessed the world’s most powerful military and that its defence strength was key to restoring America’s standing globally.
(Inputs from IANS)