Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that military action against Iran remained “absolutely” on the table if Tehran refuses to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Speaking ahead of anticipated nuclear negotiations in Oman this weekend, Trump asserted that while diplomacy is the goal, the US is ready to act if required.
He said that Israel would play a “leading” role in any potential attack.
“If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump told journalists.
“Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They’ll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us—we do what we want to do.”
The US Treasury on Wednesday announced more sanctions targeting Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, including 5 entities and one individual linked to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that his country is not seeking a nuclear bomb.
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He said that there is no opposition from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to engagement with the US.
Trump’s comments follow earlier remarks suggesting the planned negotiations may not be progressing well.
Washington has described the Oman meeting as a direct engagement, while Tehran insists the negotiations will be indirect.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the talks but warned that any agreement must prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
He pointed to Libya’s disarmament in 2003 as a possible model.
“I think that would be a good thing,” Netanyahu said. “But whatever happens, we have to make sure that Tehran does not have nuclear weapons.”
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Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear agreement in 2018, terming it “the worst agreement ever”.
Subsequent efforts to revive the deal, including under President Joe Biden, failed to produce results.
