‘Not Even Talking to Them — We OBLITERATED Iran’s Nuclear Facilities,’ Says Trump
Trump denied backchannel talks with Iran, slamming Sen. Chris Coons and saying, “I’m not offering Iran ANYTHING.” He emphasized Iran’s nuclear sites were “obliterated” and rejected comparisons to Obama’s JCPOA deal, declaring Tehran too weakened to resume its program.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday forcefully denied claims that his administration is engaged in backchannel talks with Iran, lashing out at Democratic Senator Chris Coons and contrasting his approach with that of former President Barack Obama.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump rejected any notion of secret diplomacy or appeasement, following suggestions by Coons that Washington may be exploring a quiet diplomatic channel with Tehran in the aftermath of the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes.
“Tell phony Democrat Senator Chris Coons that I am not offering Iran ANYTHING,” Trump wrote. “Unlike Obama, who paid them $Billions under the stupid 'road to a Nuclear Weapon JCPOA (which would now be expired!), nor am I even talking to them since we totally OBLITERATED their Nuclear Facilities.”
Trump’s statement comes amid heightened regional tension and recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. It also follows his Sunday night interview with Fox News, in which he provided additional detail on the rationale and outcome of the U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
The U.S. President claimed that Iran was just “weeks away” from producing a nuclear weapon and reiterated that the strikes had significantly delayed any such ambitions. “That meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time,” Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo during the interview on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Trump emphasized the strategic success of targeting the Fordow nuclear facility—one of Iran’s most heavily fortified sites buried deep within a mountain. He dismissed speculation that Iran had managed to remove enriched uranium from the site prior to the strike.
“I don't think they did. No,” Trump said. “I think, first of all, it's very hard to do. It's very dangerous to do. It's very heavy. Very, very heavy. It's a very hard thing to do. Plus, we didn't give much notice because they didn't know we were coming until just, you know, then.”
Addressing intelligence assessments that had long deemed Fordow impenetrable, Trump added, “Nobody thought we'd go after that site because everybody said that site is impenetrable.” He said the operation defied expectations and proved that even Iran’s most secure facilities could be neutralized.
Responding to reports that Iran might resume its nuclear program, Trump reiterated his belief that the regime has been fundamentally weakened. “They [Iran] are exhausted. They took hits like nobody’s ever taken,” he said.
Trump has consistently taken a hardline stance against the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, which was brokered under the Obama administration and from which he unilaterally withdrew in 2018. He has frequently criticized the Obama-era agreement for providing Iran with sanctions relief and access to frozen assets without permanently halting its nuclear program.
The Biden administration had attempted to revive the JCPOA in earlier rounds of indirect negotiations with Iran, but those efforts stalled amid growing mistrust, rising regional hostilities, and political transitions in Tehran and Washington.
Now, following what both U.S. and Israeli officials have described as the “12-day war,” the Trump administration has doubled down on its message of deterrence, touting the effectiveness of its military and intelligence capabilities in delivering what it claims is a severe blow to Iran’s nuclear program.
The issue of whether any uranium stockpiles survived the assault remains a matter of international concern, particularly after Tehran announced that it would halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, Trump has downplayed those concerns, expressing confidence that Iran has neither the capacity nor the will to resume enrichment in the short term.
“We had to hit them, though,” Trump told Fox News. “They were close to getting a nuclear bomb, absolutely.”
In Washington, Senator Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a close ally of President Joe Biden, has yet to respond publicly to Trump’s remarks. But his earlier comments had sparked speculation about whether quiet diplomacy could serve as a path forward amid escalating tensions.
Trump’s Monday post on Truth Social appears designed to shut down such speculation. The message not only drew a sharp line between his administration’s posture and that of his predecessors but also signaled that no engagement with Tehran is currently underway or planned.
Trump’s remarks are likely to resonate both domestically and internationally, especially among conservative voters who support a tougher stance on Iran, and among Middle Eastern allies such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, which have long expressed concerns about Iran’s nuclear intentions.
