Washington, D.C. : US President Donald Trump has said the United States should not have entered the conflict with Iran, while simultaneously defending earlier military strikes and warning that further action remains possible if negotiations fail.
Speaking during an interview on Fox News’ My View with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, Trump compared the Iran conflict to the Iraq war and questioned America’s involvement in the region.
“You look at what happened with Iraq. We did so bad. It was such a foolish thing what we did. We shouldn’t have been there in the first place, by the way,” Trump said.
“We shouldn’t have been in Iran, but Iran has the capability.” He then added
Despite those remarks, Trump defended previous US military operations against Iran, claiming they prevented Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“If we didn’t hit them with B-2 bombers, nine months ago, they would have a nuclear weapon right now,”
“They would have a nuclear weapon right now and will be a whole different story.” Trump said.
Trump’s comments come amid continuing debate over Iran’s nuclear program.
Former US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard previously testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei had not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.”
US intelligence assessments have repeatedly reached similar conclusions over the years.
During the interview, Trump also made seemingly contradictory statements about the condition of Iran’s military forces. He claimed that “their navy is gone, 100%,” and “their air force is gone, 100%.”
“Their military, we’ve sort of left it alone because we think that their military is somewhat moderate.” he said.
The president expressed optimism about ongoing diplomatic efforts with Tehran, saying the two sides were nearing an agreement.
“We’re close to a very good deal,” Trump said, while also warning that if negotiations fail, “we’ll just go back and finish it off militarily.”
The remarks come as the United States and Iran continue negotiations over sanctions, nuclear restrictions, and regional security issues.
Recent reports indicate that diplomatic channels remain active despite ongoing tensions and a fragile ceasefire.
