Israel, Center East wouldn't exist if I didn't cease Iran from having nuke: Trump
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel and the entire Middle East would not exist today if his administration had not prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. He made the claim in a post on his Truth Social platform, saying the role he played in stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions was widely known but rarely acknowledged.”Israel and, in fact, the entire Middle East, WOULD NOT EXIST TODAY if I did not stop Iran from having a Nuclear Weapon.
Nobody wants to say that, but everybody knows it’s true!” Trump wrote. This comes as Trump continues to frame his Iran policy around preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.Trump has repeatedly portrayed the US military campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure as a success. Washington and Israel launched major strikes against Iranian nuclear and military facilities in 2025 and again in 2026, with preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon cited as a key objective.But the current status of Iran’s programme remains uncertain.
A Congressional Research Service assessment published in October said the extent to which the strikes affected Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons remains unclear. It also noted that assessments had previously concluded Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.IRAN STILL HAD SIGNIFICANT ENRICHED URANIUMThe key concern is not that Iran had already built a bomb, but that it had accumulated uranium enriched to levels far above what is normally needed for civilian nuclear power.A Reuters analysis in October reported that the IAEA believes Iran may still have more than 200 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent stored in an underground tunnel complex at Isfahan.
Uranium enriched to 60 per cent is well
Uranium enriched to 60 per cent is well below the roughly 90 per cent generally associated with weapons-grade material, but it can be enriched further.The bigger problem for inspectors is that they do not have a complete picture of where Iran’s enriched uranium and centrifuges are located. The IAEA has been unable to fully verify the material following the military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.NO PROOF IRAN HAD A NUCLEAR BOMBIran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its nuclear programme is peaceful.
A 2026 US assessment cited by Congress said Iran had halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and that there was no established evidence that it had restarted a structured programme to build a nuclear weapon.That distinction matters in assessing Trump’s statement. He did help lead a military campaign aimed at destroying or degrading Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, but claiming that he personally “stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon” presents a conclusion that has not been established by the IAEA or US intelligence assessments.The issue remains at the centre of US-Iran negotiations.
The Trump administration has demanded significant restrictions on Iran’s uranium enrichment, while Tehran has sought an agreement that would allow it to retain some nuclear capabilities.Against this backdrop, President Trump met with his national security team on Thursday to discuss the possibility of resuming military operations against Iran, as US Central Command (CENTCOM) stepped up preparations for a potential new wave of strikes.However, Washington has not issued any formal directive to restart major combat operations.According to US officials cited by Fox News, key meetings on Iran were held at the White House on Wednesday and Thursday.
Thursday’s meeting, held during Trump’s weekly intelligence briefing, was the first discussion involving the President and his top national security advisers on Iran since the US midterm elections. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Washington would soon decide whether to launch further attacks on Iran’s nuclear programme.- Ends
Source: www.indiatoday.in
