Trump: ‘If Iran Had Nuclear Weapons, Israel and the Middle East Would Be Gone’

President Donald Trump spoke at length about the American campaign against Iran, making clear that, in his view, preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons is a goal that justifies the actions the United States has taken. 

In an interview with Fox News that aired overnight Sunday into Monday, Trump warned of the possible consequences of such weapons in the hands of the Iranian regime, for Israel, the Middle East, and eventually Europe and the United States: “Iran is the number one leading state sponsor of terror in the entire world, you’ve heard that many times. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

He said he is often asked whether military action against Iran was necessary, but argued that considering a scenario in which Tehran obtains nuclear weapons is enough to understand why the move was needed: “A lot of people said to me, ‘Did you have to do it?’ And then I say, ‘Do you think it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon?’ A nuclear weapon is mass destruction. Take what you’re seeing and multiply it by 100, and everybody says no.”

The American president then addressed the state of the campaign, arguing that U.S. measures, especially the naval blockade and economic pressure, have inflicted heavy damage on Iran: “The blockade was unbelievable. The financial hits that we’re putting on them, we’re hitting them very hard. Nobody has ever taken a hit like this.”

Trump described Iran as “a failed nation” and made clear that, from his perspective, the conflict does not necessarily have to end with a formal agreement: “At the right point, either we win, or they’ll do something. But I don’t care about winning, just win. I don’t need a signature on a piece of paper.” He said that alongside the economic damage, Iran’s military capabilities have also taken a severe blow. 

Trump called the Iranians “a strong people” and “smart people,” but sharply criticized the leadership of the Islamic Republic and its treatment of protesters. “They’re very bad,” he said, claiming: “They killed 52,000 protesters as of three months ago. And unfortunately, they have added very significant numbers to that list. Even people who aren’t protesting, they go into their homes, take them, and shoot them.”

Later in the interview, Trump focused on the threat he said Israel would have faced had Iran succeeded in obtaining nuclear weapons: “These are very violent and bad people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, Israel would be gone. If I weren’t president, Israel would be gone. There probably would be no Israel and no Middle East.”

Trump also addressed what he described as the erosion of the regional support Iran had previously enjoyed: “I thought that was a very good thing because they lost all the support they had. They had a certain amount of support. That means if they had a nuclear weapon, they would launch it. So I think the Middle East would actually be gone. But Israel would definitely be gone.”

Finally, Trump warned that, in his view, the danger is not limited to Israel and Middle Eastern countries: “I assume we would have been next, or Europe, or someplace else. But no, they can’t be allowed to get a nuclear weapon. And they will not have a nuclear weapon.”