US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended the continuation of the conflict with Iran, asserting that he would not permit Tehran to develop nuclear weapons, regardless of whether the decision is politically popular or not.
Trump's Stance on Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump emphasized that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons remains a priority for his administration, describing it as a matter of global security. 'Look, everyone tells me it's unpopular, but I think it's very popular when they hear that it's having to do with nuclear weapons, weapons that could take out Los Angeles, could take out major cities very quickly,' Trump stated.
Reaffirming his position, the US President added, 'Whether it's popular or not popular, I have to do it, because I'm not going to let the world be blown up on my watch. It's not going to happen.'
Delayed Attack and Diplomatic Efforts
Earlier on Monday, Trump revealed that he had postponed a planned attack on Iran for a short period following 'big discussions' with the Islamic Republic over the ongoing West Asia crisis. He noted that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and some other countries had requested the US delay the action for a few days, as they believed negotiations were close to yielding a deal.
'I put it off for a little while, hopefully maybe forever, but possibly for a little while because we've had very big discussions with Iran, and we'll see what they amount to. I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and some others if we could put it off for two or three days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal,' Trump explained.
Trump described the development as positive but acknowledged uncertainty about whether the talks would lead to a breakthrough. 'It's a very positive development, but we'll see whether or not it amounts to anything,' he added.
International Mediation Efforts
He further stated that multiple countries are directly engaging with US officials and Iran in an effort to resolve the situation diplomatically. 'I was called by these three countries, plus others, and they're dealing directly with our people and right now, Iran. There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I will be very happy,' the US President concluded.
