President Donald Trump mentioned on Wednesday (April 9, 2025) that Israel would be the “leader” of a possible army strike towards Iran if Tehran doesn’t give up its nuclear weapons program.
Mr. Trump made the feedback forward of this weekend’s scheduled talks involving U.S. and Iranian officers within the Middle East sultanate of Oman. Mr. Trump earlier this week mentioned the talks would be “direct” whereas Iran has described the engagement as “indirect” talks with the U.S.
“If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They’ll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, but we do what we want to do.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week mentioned he helps Mr. Trump’s diplomatic efforts to succeed in a settlement with Iran. He added that Israel and the U.S. share the identical aim of guaranteeing that Iran doesn’t develop a nuclear weapon. Mr. Netanyahu, nonetheless, led efforts to steer Mr. Trump to drag out of a U.S.-brokered cope with Iran in 2018.
The Israeli chief, identified for his hawkish views on Iran and previous requires army strain, mentioned he would welcome a diplomatic settlement alongside the strains of Libya’s cope with the worldwide group in 2003. But that deal noticed Libya’s late dictator Moammar Gadhafi give up all of his clandestine nuclear program. Iran has insisted its program, acknowledged to the International Atomic Energy Agency, ought to proceed.
“I think that would be a good thing,” Mr. Netanyahu mentioned. “But whatever happens, we have to make sure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.”
The United States is more and more involved as Tehran is nearer than ever to a workable weapon. But Mr. Trump mentioned on Wednesday that he doesn’t have a definitive timeline for the talks to return to a decision.
“When you start talks, you know, if they’re going along well or not,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “And I would say the conclusion would be what I think they’re not going along well. So that’s just a feeling.”
The U.S. and different world powers in 2015 reached a long-term, complete nuclear settlement that restricted Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in change for the lifting of financial sanctions. But Mr. Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear settlement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever.”
Iran and the U.S., beneath President Joe Biden, held oblique negotiations in Vienna in 2021 aimed toward restoring the nuclear deal. But these talks, and others between Tehran and European nations, failed to succeed in any settlement.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department earlier on Wednesday issued new sanctions focusing on Iran’s nuclear program.
Five entities and one individual primarily based in Iran are cited within the new sanctions for his or her help of Iran’s nuclear program. The designated teams embody the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and subordinates Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, Thorium Power Company, Pars Reactors Construction and Development Company and Azarab Industries Co.
“I want Iran to be great,” Mr. Trump mentioned Wednesday. “The only thing that they can’t have is a nuclear weapon. They understand that.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian once more pledged on Wednesday that his nation is “not after a nuclear bomb” and even dangled the prospect of direct American funding within the Islamic Republic if the international locations can attain a deal.
The feedback by the reformist chief symbolize a departure from Iran’s stance after its 2015 nuclear cope with world powers, by which Tehran sought to purchase American airplanes however in impact barred U.S. corporations from coming into the nation.
“His excellency has no opposition to investment by American investors in Iran,” Mr. Pezeshkian mentioned in a speech in Tehran, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “American investors: Come and invest.”
Published – April 10, 2025 04:43 am IST
