President Trump said he’s seeking “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear program during a “Meet the Press” interview that aired Sunday.
Mr. Trump said Tehran needs to abandon its goal of building a nuclear weapon because “the world will be destroyed” if Iran somehow manages to construct one.
“Total dismantlement. Yes, that is all I would accept,” Mr. Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker. “I want Iran to be really successful, really great, really fantastic. The only thing they can’t have is a nuclear weapon.”
The president’s comments came as a fourth round of talks between Iranian officials and U.S. negotiators scheduled for Saturday in Rome were postponed.
Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Middle Eastern nation must “walk away” from its nuclear enrichment program and also stop sponsoring terror groups, including the Houthis in Yemen, who have been harassing international shipping in the Red Sea.
Both Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio expressed interest in allowing Iran to continue its nuclear enrichment program for commercial and civilian purposes, but Mr. Rubio said Tehran would have to submit to regular inspections of its nuclear and military facilities.
Mr. Rubio also said Iran should import its uranium rather than enriching it in the country. Enriching their own uranium makes it easier for the Islamic Republic to quietly develop the material into a nuclear warhead.
Tehran has long denied it is attempting to build a weapon, and has steadfastly refused to surrender its nuclear ambitions during negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded Friday to the White House’s comments by saying “…repeating falsehoods will not change basic facts. As a founding signatory to the [Non-Proliferation Treaty], Iran has every right to possess the full nuclear fuel cycle.”
The foreign minister said there are other nations that enrich uranium while rejecting the development of nuclear weapons, including nations in Asia, Europe and South America.
“Maximalist positioning and incendiary rhetoric achieve nothing except eroding the chances of success,” Mr. Araghchi wrote on X. “A credible and durable agreement is within reach. All it takes is firm political will and a fair attitude.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who is usually a staunch supporter of the president, bashed the administration’s handling of ongoing negotiations with Tehran.
“I represent the base, and when I’m frustrated and upset over the direction of things, you better be clear, the base is not happy,” Ms. Greene said Friday on X. “I campaigned for no more foreign wars. And now we are supposedly on the verge of going to war with Iran.”
But more hawkish allies of the president, including former national security advisor Mike Waltz, have pushed for a preemptive attack on Iran to thwart its nuclear program — a view long supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr. Trump removed Mr. Waltz from his post last week. He has since nominated him for his administration’s U.N. ambassador position.
The president has also threatened to hamstring Iran by sanctioning countries that buy Iranian oil and petrochemicals. China is Iran’s top customer for those commodities.
— Vaughn Cockayne and Alex Miller contributed to this report.
