Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that American forces are required to embark on a mission into Iran to secure nuclear assets following recent aerial bombardments that have buried Tehran's enrichment facilities. "Now we're going to take a hit, because we have to make a journey down to Iran to take the nuclear weapon," Trump stated to reporters.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trump appeared to refer to 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms) of enriched uranium reportedly trapped under the debris of sites targeted during the US-Israeli offensive last June. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the material is "under the rubble" with no immediate plans for retrieval.
The US president asserted that Washington has effectively destroyed Tehran's nuclear capabilities. "We blew up their nuclear potential. It was obliterated," he noted, adding that it would take the Iranians weeks to reach the material and that the US "wouldn't let them dig down" due to constant military surveillance.
Trump maintained that Tehran acknowledges it has "no chance," despite public claims to the contrary. "They express it to me when I talk to them, then they get on television, they say how well they're doing," he claimed, suggesting a stark contrast between private admissions and public assertions.
The president further stated that Iran is eager to finalize an agreement because its "military is totally gone." He argued that Tehran should do the "smart thing" to avoid further conflict, emphasizing, "We don't want to go in and kill people."
Trump claimed that Tehran now respects Washington more than ever before due to the current pressure campaign. When questioned about what would constitute a ceasefire violation by Iran, Trump responded with a warning: "You'll find out." He added that Iranian leaders "know what to do" and "what not to do" to maintain the current truce.
Expressing hope for an economic collapse in Iran, Trump stated that the Iranian financial system is failing "because we're making it fail" through unprecedented economic restrictions.
"Their currency is worthless. Their inflation is probably 150%," Trump claimed, describing the current measures as "tremendous sanctions" that the world has never seen before.