Trump Says Iran Could Have Nuclear Weapons Without US Intervention

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran could already possess nuclear weapons if Washington had not intervened, while defending his policy of maintaining pressure on Tehran.

“If I didn’t do it, they would have nuclear weapons right now, and you would be calling them ‘sir,’” Trump said in an interview with Real America’s Voice.

Trump outlined three possible U.S. strategies toward Iran. The first, he said, was to continue the current policy of economic pressure, pointing to what he described as severe economic conditions in Iran.

“Look at how bad their situation is. They have 300 percent inflation. Their currency is worth almost nothing. They are not paying their soldiers. Their soldiers are leaving the military,” Trump said.

He said the second option would be to “hit Iran very, very hard,” while the third would be to defeat Iran economically.

Trump also claimed that Washington has significant control over Iran’s finances.

“They can’t borrow money. We control their money. They had a lot of money, and we have total control over it. I’m their banker,” he said.

The remarks came a day after Trump said he was “low-keying” his approach to the conflict, suggesting that his administration could rely more heavily on economic pressure rather than launching additional military strikes.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to escalate military action against Iran while also suggesting that a diplomatic agreement could be within reach. Last week, he warned that Iran could be hit “very hard,” including potentially targeting civilian infrastructure.

On Monday, Trump also said he would seek compensation from Iran as part of any future peace negotiations, citing decades of attacks and violence that he attributed to Tehran.

“I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said Iran was seeking compensation for damage caused during the five-month conflict and argued that Washington should make similar demands. He also cited the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole and called for compensation for families of what he described as “hundreds of thousands” of Iranian protesters killed over the past five decades.

“I have instructed my representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, negotiations over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz have stalled. Tehran has demanded that Washington first end its blockade of Iranian ports and lift sanctions on Iran’s oil industry.

According to Axios, Trump did not express frustration over Iran’s delay in reaching an agreement on reopening the strait during an interview published Sunday.

The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global energy markets and pushed up fuel prices, adding to economic and political pressure on the Trump administration ahead of the November midterm elections.