President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, particularly in the context of a recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. During this period, the United States conducted military strikes against Iran, significantly intensifying the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
On the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” President Trump reiterated his claims that Iran was merely weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon prior to Israel’s military action on June 13. Following the Israeli strikes, the U.S. carried out targeted attacks on Iran’s key nuclear facilities, namely Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, nine days later.
Despite President Trump’s assertions, both U.S. intelligence agencies and the United Nations nuclear watchdog have clarified that Iran was not in the process of developing a nuclear arsenal. Iran has consistently stated that its nuclear program is dedicated solely to civilian purposes.
While President Trump declared that the U.S. strikes had “obliterated” these nuclear sites, multiple news organizations, citing intelligence sources, have reported that the attacks did not completely destroy the facilities as claimed.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has noted ambiguity regarding the extent of the damage inflicted on the Fordow facility, which houses a significant portion of Iran’s highly enriched uranium crucial for nuclear weapon development.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stated that Iran could resume uranium enrichment within just a few months. However, Trump insisted over the weekend that the U.S. airstrikes had effectively reset Iran’s nuclear ambitions by “decades.”
Recent IAEA reporting indicates that Iran possesses more than 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity—just a short step from the approximately 90 percent needed for a nuclear weapon. If further enriched, this amount could theoretically yield up to nine nuclear weapons.
In his Fox News appearance, Trump criticized media outlets that questioned the effectiveness of the military actions he ordered, labeling them as purveyors of “fake news.” He expressed frustration at the suggestion that the strikes had fallen short, asserting, “… it was obliterated like nobody has ever seen before…”
Furthermore, Trump expressed confidence that the Iranian leadership would be hesitant to consider pursuing nuclear capabilities after the recent conflict. “The last thing they want to do right now is think about nuclear,” he stated.
Throughout the course of the attacks, reports surfaced that Iran may have removed enriched uranium from the Fordow site, but Trump refuted this information, labeling it false and stating, “It’s a very hard thing to do.”
He emphasized the element of surprise experienced by Iran, asserting that the U.S. attacked a facility that was considered impenetrable, situated beneath a mountainous structure. Trump remarked, “[But] the bomb went through it like butter, like it was absolute butter.”
In a separate context, President Trump addressed trade relations with Canada, indicating a halt to trade talks until Canada retracts certain taxes. This announcement follows Canada’s enactment of a new digital services tax affecting foreign and domestic technology firms, which Trump opposed.
As for U.S.-China relations, Trump suggested that even with a significant trade deficit, the current atmosphere was relatively amicable. Additionally, he mentioned that he has located potential buyers for TikTok, revealing plans to disclose their identities in the upcoming weeks after extending the app’s ban for another 90 days.
image source from：aljazeera
