US President Donald Trump stated on the 21st (local time) that Iran 'desperately wants to meet' to end the current situation, but the US has no interest until Iran is ready for meaningful engagement. Trump warned at the White House during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons and threatened imminent strikes on suspected facilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added that if Iran fires on commercial vessels, the US will retaliate '10 times harder,' reflecting escalating tensions over Iran's nuclear program and Strait of Hormuz security.
Trump Refuses Iran Negotiations Until Meaningful Engagement
Trump told reporters before the bilateral meeting that Iran is 'desperately' seeking to meet because 'they are being seriously hit.' When asked about signs Iran might stop fighting, Trump responded: 'Do you know something I don't know?' He criticized the questioner, stating: 'You don't know what conversations are happening behind the scenes. You can't know that if you only watch your fake broadcasts.'
Trump emphasized that Iran 'cannot have nuclear weapons' and called it 'very simple. A very simple principle.' He stated: 'They cannot have nuclear weapons, and they will not have them in the future. They have no possibility of having nuclear weapons.'
US Threatens Strikes on Suspected Nuclear Facilities at Pickaxe Mountain
Regarding Pickaxe Mountain, suspected to house Iran's nuclear centrifuges, Trump stated: 'We are tracking that nuclear material. That's the key point. And we will probably strike that area quite soon.' He repeated: 'We will strike that area quite soon, and we will strike very powerfully.'
Trump added: 'They are in this situation because of nuclear weapons, and they are probably trying to rebuild facilities. We will strike those facilities.' He warned: 'Any facility they even think about related to nuclear weapons, we will strike very, very powerfully. We have inflicted damage that will take them 20 years, 25 years to recover from.'
Trump stated: 'So even if we left tomorrow, we have achieved great success. But we are not leaving tomorrow.'
Hegseth Warns 10x Retaliation for Attacks on Commercial Ships
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated: 'Iran has been given every opportunity to negotiate and show reasonable behavior in the Strait of Hormuz. But if they fire at commercial vessels, as the president said, we will strike 10 times harder.'
Hegseth warned: 'As the president said, they can negotiate, or they will face the Department of Defense.'
Regarding Iran's potential influence on US midterm elections through Strait of Hormuz threats, Trump responded: 'Probably they will have no impact on me at all.' Trump assessed that the Iran issue is larger than Venezuela, stating: 'It's a more complex situation. But we are probably doing just as well.'
FAQ
What did Trump say about meeting with Iran on the 21st?
Trump stated that Iran 'desperately wants to meet' to end the current situation because they are being seriously hit, but the US has no interest in dialogue until Iran is ready for meaningful engagement in a serious manner.
What military action did Trump threaten against Iran's nuclear facilities?
Trump warned the US will strike suspected nuclear facilities at Pickaxe Mountain 'quite soon' and 'very powerfully,' stating any facility Iran even thinks about related to nuclear weapons will be targeted, and that previous damage will take Iran 20-25 years to recover from.
What did Defense Secretary Hegseth warn about Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz?
Hegseth stated that if Iran fires at commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, the US will retaliate '10 times harder,' warning that Iran can either negotiate or face the Department of Defense.
