Donald Trump says Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, claims its navy, air force and leaders are gone

US President Donald Trump has reiterated his position that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon arguing that Tehrans acquisition of such a weapon would pose a threat to Israel and could have wider consequences for the Middle East Europe and the United StatesSpeaking to Fox News on Sunday Night in America Trump defended US actions against Iran and claimed that Washingtons military and economic measures had significantly weakened the countryIran is a number one leading state sponsor of terror Youve heard that many times in the whole world They cannot have a nuclear weapon Trump saidHe said he had repeatedly asked critics of US military action whether they believed Iran should be allowed to possess a nuclear weaponTrump defends US action against IranI have numerous people say Well did you have to do it And then I say Do you think its okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon A nuclear weapon is massive destruction you know take what you see and multiply times a hundred Trump saidTrump said people who questioned or debated the US approach generally agreed that Iran should not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weaponAnd everybody says no Ive had people on the other side asking me or debating me lets say on that question Most people are absolutely fine with it he saidThe US president also claimed that the military and economic pressure being applied against Tehran was having a major impactBut were doing a great job The blockade has been unbelievable The financial hits that were giving them were hitting them very hard Nobodys ever been hit like this Trump saidHe added that Iran was under increasing pressure but did not indicate when or under what circumstances the conflict could endAnd theyre a failing nation right now And at the right point well either win or theyll do something but you know I dont mind winning just winning that I dont need a signature on a piece of paper he saidTrump claims Irans military capabilities have been severely damagedTrump also claimed that Irans naval and air capabilities as well as its senior leadership and air defence infrastructure had been severely damaged during the conflictTheir navy is gone their air force is gone their leaders are gone their uh all of their antiaircraft I mean its all wiped out he saidThe extent of the damage described by Trump could not immediately be independently verifiedCalling Iranians tough people and smart people Trump added theyre very evilTrump also made claims regarding the number of protesters killed in Iran alleging that Iranian forces had targeted both demonstrators and othersThey killed 52000 protesters as of three months ago and sadly theyve added very substantially to that list Trump saidNo independent evidence was provided during the interview to support the casualty figure cited by TrumpTrump warns of consequences if Iran acquires nuclear weaponsTrump said Irans possession of a nuclear weapon could have devastating consequences particularly for Israel and the wider Middle EastAnd if they had a nuclear weapon Israel would be gone If I werent president Israel would be gone There would be no Israel And there would probably be no Middle East Trump saidHe also referred to Irans actions against and threats towards Gulf countries since the conflict began naming Saudi Arabia Qatar the United Arab Emirates Bahrain and KuwaitI thought it was a very good thing because they lost all of the support that they had Trump said arguing that countries that had previously maintained relatively neutral positions towards Iran were no longer doing soThat means that if they would have had a nuclear weapon they would have fired it So I think the Middle East would have essentially been gone but Israel definitely would have been gone And I guess we would be next or Europe or someplace Trump saidBut no you cannot let them have a nuclear weapon he addedUS strikes Larak Island amid renewed tensionsTrumps interview came as the US military launched strikes on Irans Larak Island on Sunday targeting two Iranian missile launchers according to CNN which cited an American officialThe strikes hit a strategically significant area near the northern edge of the Strait of Hormuz a major global shipping route that has become a focal point of tensions between Washington and TehranFollowing the strike the IRGC Public Relations Department issued a statement warning of direct vengeance upon criminals and promising the punishment of the aggressorIRGC spokesperson and public relations chief Hossein Mohebbi described the military action as a grave blunder that came alongside newly imposed US economic measuresThis action was a strategic and fatal error by the Trump regime in the course of the economic war an error that will shift the balance against its planners and will entail heavy costs Mohebbi said The enemy will pay the consequences of this miscalculation in both the economic and military arenasUS increases economic pressure alongside military actionThe latest military engagement followed the August 24 announcement by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding Operation Economic Outcast a campaign aimed at cutting Iran off from global financial networks and restricting revenue available to its governmentThe US has increasingly combined military action with economic measures as part of its broader pressure campaign against TehranWith inputs from ANI