Washington DC [US], June 19: Amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated that he does not seek a prolonged conflict with Iran but firmly stated that Tehran must not acquire nuclear weapons.
Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, where he met with workers installing a new flagpole, Trump said, “We’re not looking for long-term war. I only want one thing — Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That’s it.”
When asked if he had a message for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump responded curtly, “I say, ‘Good luck.’” He added, “For 40 years, they’ve been saying ‘death to America.’”
Trump emphasized his longstanding stance, saying, “If you go back 15 years, I was saying we CANNOT let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
Pressed about potential military action, he avoided giving a direct answer: “You seriously think I am going to answer that?… I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you that Iran has got a lot of troubles and they want to negotiate. Why didn’t they negotiate with me two weeks ago?”
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei issued a stern warning to both the US and Israel. In a televised speech, Khamenei said the “Zionist regime made a grave mistake” and would “face the consequences” for its actions, as aerial clashes between Iran and Israel entered their sixth consecutive day.
“Our nation will not forsake the blood of their martyrs, nor will they remain silent in the face of violations of their airspace,” Khamenei said, according to Iranian state media.
He asserted that Iran would “stand firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace,” adding that “any US military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable consequences.”
Khamenei also pledged harsh retaliation for continued Israeli airstrikes, as cross-border attacks between the two nations escalate regional instability.
With rising rhetoric on both sides, global attention remains fixed on the region as fears grow over potential military escalation.