Trump says if Iran gets a nuke, 'Israel will be gone'

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated that he does not seek to be enemies with Iran but will not allow the country to possess nuclear weapons.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump warned that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, "Israel is gone. It will be gone."

Trump and other Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for being too lenient on Iran, allowing it to circumvent US economic sanctions. They argue that this leniency enabled Tehran to arm Hamas, facilitating the October 7 attack on Israel.

Trump withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear accord, which restricted Iran’s nuclear program, calling it a "bad deal" that failed to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and malign activities in the Middle East. When he signed the withdrawal order in May 2018, Trump reimposed sanctions on oil exports and international banking.

On Sunday, Trump reiterated his criticism, claiming that four years ago, Iran was financially constrained and lacked the funds to support terrorist organizations or attack Israel. He alleged that Iran now has $300 billion, a figure far beyond what is plausible based on available data, although Tehran has indeed increased its oil sales over the past three years.

During Trump’s presidency, Iran was selling as little as 300,000 barrels of oil per day, generating far less income than needed to import essential goods. Since Joe Biden took office, Iran’s oil exports have steadily increased, reaching around 1.5 million barrels per day, generating roughly $30 billion annually—far from the $300 billion Trump claimed.

Nevertheless, Trump asserted, "People could not buy oil from them. They weren’t allowed by me." While China remains Iran’s main oil customer, the Biden administration has struggled to prevent Beijing from violating sanctions. The revenue from these oil sales has not made Iran wealthy but has provided the Islamic government with more financial flexibility. Additionally, the Biden administration allowed $16 billion of Iran’s frozen funds in South Korea and Iraq to be unblocked last year.

Trump also extended an olive branch to Iran, stating, "I am not looking to be enemies with Iran. I would love to get along with them, but they cannot have a nuclear weapon. You just cannot let them have a nuclear weapon. But I will say this: If they do have a nuclear weapon, Israel is gone. It will be gone." He had also said in June that he was not seeking enmity with Iran.

The Iranian government is reportedly watching the US presidential election with concern, particularly about a possible Trump victory. Iranian observers generally believe that a Harris administration would be more advantageous for Tehran, as it might not rigorously enforce sanctions.

Meanwhile, Iran has accelerated its nuclear program over the past three years, enriching a significant amount of uranium. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, have warned that Tehran could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a bomb in a matter of weeks.