Trump says US may launch fresh strikes on Iran tonight

ANKARA: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States could carry out fresh strikes on Iran as early as Wednesday night, reiterating that Washington would never allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.

Speaking to reporters after the NATO summit in Ankara alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump described the gathering as “excellent” and said he had held a productive meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The US president said he was unhappy with Iran, accusing it of carrying out missile and drone attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.

“There is a chance we will strike Iran again tonight,” Trump said, later adding: “We are going to hit Iran hard tonight.”

He maintained that the US campaign was “not a war” but an effort aimed at the “denuclearisation” of Iran, insisting Washington could eliminate Iran’s nuclear capability even without reaching a deal.

Trump said Iran had behaved aggressively for 47 years and criticised former US President Barack Obama, calling the 2015 nuclear agreement “the worst deal in history” and alleging that Obama’s administration had provided Iran with billions of dollars.

“Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon,” he said.

On Ukraine, Trump announced that the United States planned to grant Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot missile systems, saying Washington also had interests in Ukraine, including its mineral resources.

He said the US remained committed to pursuing a ceasefire to save lives and expressed confidence that the war could be brought to an end. Trump added that he expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the day, noting that Moscow’s conditions for ending the war were evolving.

For his part, Zelenskyy said he hoped Trump would help secure a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier, Trump said that any interim understanding with Iran was “over” and signalled he had no interest in negotiating another agreement with Tehran, while renewing criticism of NATO and announcing plans to end US trade ties with Spain.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte after the alliance summit in Ankara, Trump said Iran could never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon and described previous negotiations with Tehran as a waste of time.

“I don’t think there is an interim agreement with Iran anymore,” Trump said. “I don’t want a deal with Iran.”

He added that US negotiators were free to continue talks if they wished but indicated he saw little value in further diplomacy.

Trump also claimed the United States had eliminated Iran’s senior leadership and destroyed the country’s military capabilities during the recent conflict. He further alleged that Iran had attacked Saudi Arabian and Qatari aircraft and accused Tehran of being responsible for the deaths of thousands of US troops over the years. He did not provide evidence for those claims.

Reiterating Washington’s position on Iran’s nuclear programme, Trump said Tehran would never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.