Trump: ‘US will strike again’ if Iran rebuilds atomic weapons program
Iran suspends cooperation with United Nations nuclear watchdog following the attacks on its nuclear sites.
By David Brummer, World Israel News
US President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the United States would launch further strikes against Iran if it attempts to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure, FOX News TV reported.
He made the comments following what he described as a highly successful military operation that obliterated key sites and dealt a severe blow to Tehran’s nuclear weapons ambitions.
Speaking at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump was asked by a reporter whether the US would consider renewed military action should Iran try to restore its nuclear capabilities.
“Sure,” the president replied bluntly.
“It was very severe. There was obliteration. Iran’s nuclear program has been put back decades.”
Trump’s comments came amid growing international recognition of the effectiveness of the US-Israel strike campaign on Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel has credited the operation — conducted jointly with American forces — with setting back Tehran’s ambitions “by many years.”
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated that Iran’s nuclear timeline has been delayed “by years.”
IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said this week that while it was still early to assess the full extent of the damage, preliminary evaluations indicate a significant hit.
The campaign saw the US unleash bunker-busting bombs from B-2 bombers on two Iranian nuclear sites and a submarine-launched missile on a third.
While some US intelligence assessments suggested that Iran’s centrifuges and uranium stockpiles were not fully destroyed, the entrances to several underground facilities were reportedly sealed, significantly hindering Iran’s enrichment capabilities.
At the summit, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Trump’s leadership, calling him “a man of strength” and “a man of peace.”
Rutte lauded Trump not only for his role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran but also for pressuring NATO countries to commit more to defense spending.
“You are flying into another big success,” he said, noting that all NATO members, apart from Spain, had agreed to raise defense expenditures to 5% of GDP.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a national address following the ceasefire, reaffirmed his country’s determination to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.
“We have thwarted Iran’s nuclear project,” he declared.
“And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity.”
In response, Iran’s parliament voted on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, signaling Tehran’s continued defiance and further raising tensions in the region.
While European leaders have called for de-escalation, the consensus among US and Israeli officials is that decisive action was necessary to eliminate the growing nuclear threat.
