President Donald Trump asserted that the United States would be prepared to lead military action against Iran "very willingly" if diplomatic negotiations fail, underscoring his administration's "America First" approach. Trump warned that if Iran refused to make a deal to stop its nuclear program, there would be consequences.
In an interview with Time Magazine, Trump made it clear he wouldn’t let Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drag the U.S. into a war with Iran. But he said if diplomacy fails, he’d have no problem “leading the pack” himself. Still, Trump expressed confidence that a deal could be reached, signaling his preference for peace through strength.
“You asked if he’d drag me in, like I’d go in unwillingly. No, I may go in very willingly if we can't get a deal. If we don't make a deal, I'll be leading the pack,” Trump said, adding that he thinks the U.S. will make a deal with Iran.
Trump, slamming President Joe Biden for letting Iran “become rich,” predicted that Saudi Arabia would move to normalize relations with Israel “very quickly.” He also placed the blame for the recent bloodshed in Gaza on Biden, arguing that lifting sanctions on Iran helped fuel the violence.
The president also addressed reports that he stopped Israel from striking Iran after an Oval Office meeting earlier this month.
“I didn’t stop [Israel]. But I didn’t make it comfortable for them, because I think we can make a deal without the attack,” Trump said. “I hope we can. It’s possible we’ll have to attack because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. But I didn’t make it comfortable for them, but I didn’t say no. Ultimately, I was going to leave that choice to [Israel], but I said I would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped.”
When asked whether he'd be willing to meet with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or President Masoud Pezeshkian, Trump responded, “Sure.”
This comes after U.S. officials met with Iranian counterparts in Oman on Saturday to continue negotiations aimed at stopping Tehran’s nuclear advancement.