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He said that if Iran persisted in its ballistic missile programme, which Netanyahu described earlier this year as an “existential” threat in addition to Tehran’s nuclear development, he would back Israel in strikes.Trump has long pledged to stop Tehran’s nuclear aspirations, and in June, he launched attacks on important Iranian sites with Israeli assistance. In the wake of the strikes, the US president declared that they had “totally obliterated” a crucial underground location for Iran’s nuclear programme, despite other analyses casting doubt on the extent of the damage. Since then, Iran has prevented foreign inspectors from examining uranium stocks that are close to bomb-grade.
Trump has also implied since the strikes that Iran would seek to reach an agreement with the United States to reduce its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions; he reaffirmed this position on Monday.
This comes at a time when Iran’s capital has been hit by a wave of protests in recent days after the local currency slumped to a record low, highlighting the strain of soaring inflation and mounting living costs on millions living in the sanctions-hit nation.
Trump’s comments come after Israel’s intelligence head warned earlier this month that Iran is still working to obtain nuclear weapons and use them against the Jewish state.
First Published: Dec 30, 2025 7:31 AM IS
