Trump didn’t rule out a military clash with Iran in an interview with British TV on Wednesday.
By World Israel News Staff
“There is always a chance. Do I want to? No, I’d rather not. But there’s always a chance” President Donald Trump said during a Wednesday interview on British TV station ITV when asked whether he thought military action would be necessary against Iran.
“Iran is a place that was extremely hostile when I first came into office… They were a terrorist nation, number one in the world at that time and probably maybe are today,” the president said.
When asked if he’d rather pursue a diplomatic route, he said, ““Yeah, of course. I would much rather talk.”
Tensions with Iran have increased since the president pulled out of the 2015 nuclear accord brokered by then-President Barack Obama. Trump criticized the deal during the campaign and promised he would pull the U.S. out of it if elected. Trump said the agreement only stopped Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for a short time.
On May 8, 2018, Trump followed up on his campaign promise and announced the U.S. was exiting the deal, which he described as “defective at its core” and reinstated sanctions against Iran.
Friction between Iran and the U.S. has risen in recent weeks after the U.S. sent a U.S. Navy carrier group to the Mideast after learning of threats from Iran against U.S. forces in the region. The U.S. also increased sanctions against Iran, particularly its metals industries.
Iran for its part said it was pulling out of parts of the agreement and would again start enriching uranium.
Trump was in Britain where he visited members of the British royal family at an event to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
He then headed to Normandy for another D-Day ceremony in France with President Emmanuel Macron.