U.S. President Donald Trump has defended recent military strikes on Iran, claiming they prevented the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Speaking during a press conference after signing proclamations reducing the size of two national monuments in Utah, Trump said the operation was launched at a critical moment, alleging that Iran was about one month away from developing a nuclear weapon.
“One month—within one month from the day we bombed them, they would have had, if we didn’t do it, they would have had a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
Trump argued that the strikes justified the broader military campaign, which he claimed had destroyed much of Iran’s naval, air force and missile production capabilities within a few months.
He said allowing Iran to achieve nuclear capability would have posed a serious threat to Israel and other countries in the region, adding that some had already come under missile attacks from Iran.
The U.S. president also claimed the strikes had significantly set back Iran’s nuclear programme but acknowledged that Tehran was likely to continue resisting even as discussions on a possible return to negotiations continue.
Trump’s remarks reflect his administration’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear programme. Iranian authorities have consistently denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons, maintaining that their nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes.
