US President Donald Trump warned Iran , saying the United States would not hesitate to launch another military strike if Tehran attempts to rebuild its ballistic missile or nuclear programmes.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he emphasised that Washington was closely monitoring Iran’s activities.
“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we are going to have to knock them down. We will knock them down. We will knock the hell out of them,” he told reporters.
When asked whether the United States would support Israel in targeting Iran’s missile programme, Trump affirmed that Washington would act immediately if Iran moves to redevelop its nuclear capabilities.
He also urged Tehran to consider negotiations with the United States. “If they will continue with the missiles, yes. The nuclear? One will be: Yes, absolutely. The other is: We will do it immediately. That is smarter. They could have made a deal the last time before we went through, you know, a big attack on them,” he added.
Earlier this year, the United States conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, an operation Trump has repeatedly hailed as a major success, claiming it “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, Netanyahu recently warned that Iran is once again expanding its ballistic missile programme, raising the urgency for tougher action during his discussions with Trump.
When pressed about the possibility of supporting regime change in Iran, Trump declined to give a direct answer but highlighted the country’s internal challenges.
“I am not going to talk about the overthrow of a regime. They have got a lot of problems there. They have tremendous inflation. Their economy is no good, and the people are not happy,” he continued, “Every time they have a riot, or whenever somebody forms a group, big or small, they start shooting people. They kill people. I have watched this for years, there is tremendous discontent.”
The meeting at Mar-a-Lago also served as a platform for Trump and Netanyahu to discuss the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, with the Iranian threat looming large over regional security talks.
