US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that Iran acquiring nuclear weapons was unacceptable, describing that position as the foundation for the ongoing military operation against the country. Speaking to Trey Gowdy on a television programme, Trump characterised Iran as the foremost state sponsor of terrorism globally and asserted that its pursuit of nuclear capabilities represented an unacceptable threat, adding that the country's designation as the top state sponsor of terror was a widely recognised position.
Trump stated that possessing a nuclear weapon was not an option for Iran. The President noted that he had faced repeated questions about whether military action against Iran was warranted, and responded by posing a counter-question about whether Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon was acceptable, describing such a weapon as capable of causing destruction on a vast scale. He stated that the actual scale of the threat was estimated to be roughly a hundredfold greater than what was visible.
Trump characterised the pressure campaign against Iran as effective, pointing to the naval blockade and economic measures imposed on Tehran, while also asserting that no party had yet agreed to his terms, and describing the blockade itself as a success. He described the financial penalties being imposed on Iran as substantial in their impact, and stated that nothing of this kind had ever happened before.
Trump described Iran as a nation in decline and indicated he was open to letting the outcome of the conflict unfold without requiring a formal resolution, adding that the situation would ultimately be settled either through a victory or an action taken by the opposing side. He stated that the aim was straightforward: victory, and nothing beyond that, and that formal written authorisation was unnecessary.
The President additionally asserted that Iran's defence capabilities had been substantially weakened, while separately stating that the situation was progressing favourably. Trump stated that Iran's naval forces had been substantially diminished, that its air force had been rendered non-operational, and that leadership positions within the military had been left vacant.
Trump described Iran's air defence network as having been destroyed, while also characterising the country's population as resilient and capable, though he expressed a negative view of its leadership, calling them morally corrupt. The President further alleged that authorities had killed approximately 52,000 demonstrators in the preceding three months, a figure that has not been independently verified. Trump further claimed that the number of such cases had grown considerably, and separately alleged that individuals not engaged in any demonstrations were also being taken from their homes and killed.
He argued that an Iran possessing nuclear weapons would create substantial threats to Israel and the broader Middle East, characterising the country's leadership as adversarial and intent on causing harm. Trump asserted that such a party acquiring nuclear weapons would place Israel's survival at risk, and claimed that his tenure in power had been indispensable to Israel's continued existence. He claimed that without his intervention, neither Israel nor the broader Middle East region would exist.
Trump pointed to Iran's military operations against multiple Gulf states after the conflict began as evidence that Tehran had forfeited the diplomatic trust of governments that had previously maintained stable, non-confrontational ties with it over an extended period. He stated that once fighting began, all five nations — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait — found themselves exposed to potential attack, with weapons trained on targets. He described the announcement as having prompted a broad range of reactions, with many expressing doubt and uncertainty, and characterised the development as unexpected.
Trump described Iran's erosion of regional backing as a positive development, adding that formerly neutral nations could have faced pressure had Tehran acquired nuclear capabilities. He noted that a degree of backing had existed among the group and that their position had been broadly impartial. Trump asserted that, had Iran obtained a nuclear device, it would have been used, and that much of the Middle East would have been left in ruins. The President stated that Israel's existence would have faced an existential threat, and expressed the view that the danger had the potential to spread beyond the region, possibly reaching Europe or elsewhere. He described developing a nuclear weapons capability as a prospect that many parties regarded as unacceptable.
The programme was transmitted within hours of an attack on installations at Larak Island that resulted in two fatalities and two injuries, according to available reports. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement vowing to respond to the attack before launching ballistic missiles at US military installations in Jordan. These represented the first attacks on Iranian territory since late July, when a two-week military operation in the strategic waterway was halted by Trump.
Trump announced that the Navy had informed him all mines within the Strait of Hormuz's international waters had been cleared or detonated, citing a direct briefing from naval command. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated that ships found placing new mines would be destroyed immediately. He further stated that Space Force was maintaining surveillance over the entire Strait, along with Pickaxe Mountain and three other nuclear facilities that had already been destroyed.
Trump stated that a zero-tolerance policy on mine placement remained in effect. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi indicated that Tehran viewed itself as still engaged in an active conflict and stated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until a set of conditions had been fulfilled, including a halt to hostilities across all fronts, the removal of the blockade, and a resolution of the situation in Yemen.
