Trump says Iran badly wants nuclear deal
Washington, July 29
US President Donald Trump said Iran wants an agreement with Washington "so badly" and has essentially accepted that it cannot possess a nuclear weapon, but warned that American forces could resume attacks if negotiations fail.
Trump made the remarks during a virtual campaign rally for Republican Congressman Andy Ogles and in a separate interview with Fox News.
"They will never have a nuclear weapon, and they understand it," Trump told voters in Tennessee. "We've taken them, we've hit them very hard and they wanna make a deal so badly."
In the Fox interview, Trump said the United States and Iran had held "some very good talks". He rejected Iranian statements suggesting that nuclear matters were not being discussed.
"For some reason, we can be in the midst of a beautiful discussion, and they'll come out and say, we're not talking or we didn't discuss nuclear," he said. "Well, that's all we discussed because they'll never have a nuclear weapon, they understand that."
Trump said Iran had essentially agreed to the US demand but had not yet formalised its commitment.
"I just want very simply - they cannot have a nuclear weapon, very simple," he said. "And they've agreed to that essentially, we have to get them to make it formal, but they've agreed to it."
The president said he would prefer an agreement to further military action. But he threatened extensive strikes against Iran's bridges, power stations and other infrastructure if Tehran rejected a deal.
"If they don't make a deal, then I go back and I finish the job," Trump said.
He also warned that the United States could attack Pickax Mountain, where Iran was reportedly undertaking construction and fortification work.
"We took out their nuclear sites, and we'll have to take out Pickax if we don't make a deal," Trump said. "If we don't make a deal, we'll take it out very easily."
Trump said the US military controlled access through the Strait of Hormuz and was allowing passage only to selected ships. He said Washington had eased its blockade after reaching the outlines of an agreement but restored it after Iran broke the arrangement.
"The only ones that get through are the ones that we want to get through," he said. "We have a blockade that's so powerful that nobody can get through."
Iran and six world powers concluded a nuclear agreement in 2015 that restricted Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump withdrew the United States from that agreement in 2018 during his first presidential term.
— IANS
Reader Comments
What I find interesting is how Trump uses the "they want a deal so badly" line to project strength. But from a neutral perspective, Iran must be in a tough spot with sanctions, while Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is incredibly aggressive. As an Indian, I remember how the 2019 tensions led to petrol prices shooting up here. Let's hope common sense prevails and there's a real diplomatic resolution, not just political posturing.
"Pickax Mountain" - is he referring to Mount Damavand or some secret facility? This kind of public threat-making is very destabilizing. Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons under Khamenei's fatwa. India has consistently supported dialogue and diplomacy, especially given our own concerns about nuclear proliferation in the region. Trump's approach feels more like a reality show than serious statecraft. We need fewer ultimatums and more genuine talks.
Interesting how Trump claims he "took out their nuclear sites" - something that never happened under his watch or Biden's. The JCPOA was working until he tore it up. Now he's creating a crisis to take credit for solving it. From a global perspective, Iran should be treated with respect, not threatened like a rogue state. Diplomacy works when both sides come to the table as equals.
The blockade of Hormuz is a huge concern for India. We import most of our oil through that chokepoint. If Trump is controlling who passes, it directly affects our energy security. This is why India needs to diversify its energy sources and build stronger ties with Central Asia and Russia. Can't be held hostage by US-Iran games.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.