Trump says 'it would be great' if the US didn't have to use military force against Iran
/ By Jasmine Edwards
Trump says 'it would be great' if the US didn't have to use military force against Iran
/ By Jasmine Edwards
Donald Trump says he has informed Iran it must meet “two things” to avoid US military action, as Washington increases its forces in the Gulf.
“Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters,” the US President said, asserting that “they are killing them by the thousands”.
“We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.”
He delivered those remarks at the premiere of a documentary about his wife, Melania.
The comments follow weeks of pressure on Tehran to negotiate an agreement on its nuclear programme.
Earlier in the week, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
He further warned that a “massive Armada is heading to Iran”, saying it was “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the armed forces stand “with their fingers on the trigger” to “immediately and powerfully respond” to any aggression.
In response, Araghchi said: “Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL - on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation - which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
“Such weapons have no place in our security calculations and we have NEVER sought to acquire them,” he added.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said there were no negotiations with the US under way, despite “exchanges of messages”.
Demonstrations began in late December after a steep fall in the value of the Iranian currency, but quickly became a crisis of legitimacy for the country’s clerical leadership.
Residents in Tehran told the BBC the crackdown on protesters was unlike anything they had seen before.
Earlier this month, Trump said the US would come to the “rescue” of Iranian protesters if authorities resorted to violence.
Though Trump initially promised that “help is on the way”, he later said he had been told on good authority that the execution of demonstrators had stopped.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) says it has so far confirmed the killing of at least 6,479 people since the unrest began, including 6,092 protesters, 118 children and 214 people affiliated with the government.
It is also investigating approximately 17,000 more reported deaths.
Iranian authorities said last week that more than 3,100 people had been killed, but that most were security personnel or bystanders attacked by “rioters”.
The European Union has since added Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its terrorist list, and imposed new sanctions on six entities and 15 individuals in Iran.
“Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters,” the US President said, asserting that “they are killing them by the thousands”.
“We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.”
He delivered those remarks at the premiere of a documentary about his wife, Melania.
The comments follow weeks of pressure on Tehran to negotiate an agreement on its nuclear programme.
Earlier in the week, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
He further warned that a “massive Armada is heading to Iran”, saying it was “ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said the armed forces stand “with their fingers on the trigger” to “immediately and powerfully respond” to any aggression.
In response, Araghchi said: “Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL - on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation - which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology, and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
“Such weapons have no place in our security calculations and we have NEVER sought to acquire them,” he added.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said there were no negotiations with the US under way, despite “exchanges of messages”.
Demonstrations began in late December after a steep fall in the value of the Iranian currency, but quickly became a crisis of legitimacy for the country’s clerical leadership.
Residents in Tehran told the BBC the crackdown on protesters was unlike anything they had seen before.
Earlier this month, Trump said the US would come to the “rescue” of Iranian protesters if authorities resorted to violence.
Though Trump initially promised that “help is on the way”, he later said he had been told on good authority that the execution of demonstrators had stopped.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (Hrana) says it has so far confirmed the killing of at least 6,479 people since the unrest began, including 6,092 protesters, 118 children and 214 people affiliated with the government.
It is also investigating approximately 17,000 more reported deaths.
Iranian authorities said last week that more than 3,100 people had been killed, but that most were security personnel or bystanders attacked by “rioters”.
The European Union has since added Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to its terrorist list, and imposed new sanctions on six entities and 15 individuals in Iran.