Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump said that Iran was seeking talks with Washington but insisted Tehran would never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, using the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to reiterate his administration’s position on one of its top foreign policy priorities.
“They are talking to us right now. They’d love to make a deal,” Trump said.
“I don’t think they’re ready to. I don’t think it’s time yet. But I’m willing to listen.” He said the United States would not compromise on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
“We don’t want to see Washington D.C. or any of our cities or Israel or, frankly, the Middle East destroyed with a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also claimed recent US military action had significantly degraded Iran’s military capabilities, although he offered no evidence during his remarks.
“We’ve hit Iran very hard,” he said, adding that Iran’s navy and air force were “gone” and claiming the country had lost “250 jets”, “159 boats”, radar systems and much of its drone capability. “They don’t have much left,” he said.
Trump described preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as the central objective of US policy. “This is all about we will not let them have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
The comments were among the few substantive foreign policy remarks in an hour-long speech that otherwise focused on humour, media criticism and political attacks.
Trump also argued that the United States had regained global standing during his second term.
