US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he wants to “destroy” Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, preferably through a deal with the country, but is also willing to do so with a strike if necessary
In an interview on conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump was asked whether the US had given Iran a choice between handing over its nuclear centrifuges and uranium or facing bombing.
He replied: “It’s that simple.” Trump explained that he would prefer a strong, verifiable deal to “destroy” the centrifuges or to shut down Iran’s nuclear program.
“There are only two options: destroy them peacefully or destroy them with force,” he said.
Earlier, however, Trump had told reporters that he had not yet decided whether he would allow Iran to continue a limited uranium enrichment program.
“We haven’t made that decision yet.
We’re going to make that decision,” he said.
These statements show that the US government still does not have a clear position on Iran.
Some members of the administration accept that Iran has a limited nuclear program, while others want the program to be completely destroyed.
On Sunday, Trump said that the goal of nuclear negotiations with Iran is to completely dismantle the country’s nuclear program, but that he is open to allowing Iran to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes, such as generating electricity.
Trump’s remarks on the radio show are more in line with the views of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also supports a deal that would physically destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
On the other hand, Trump, Vice President J.D.
Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have already indicated that they would accept a civilian nuclear program in Iran, as long as it does not involve uranium enrichment and that the uranium used is imported, as is the case in other countries.
Donald Trump praises Houthis? ?bravery"
— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) May 7, 2025
?You know, we hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment. They took tremendous punishment. You can say there’s a lot of bravery there?It was amazing what they took. But we honor their commitment and their word.? pic.twitter.com/XS1ChpFKd7
?You know, we hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment. They took tremendous punishment. You can say there’s a lot of bravery there?It was amazing what they took. But we honor their commitment and their word.?
< b>Israel has not made it clear whether it would accept this possibility
U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who is leading negotiations with Iran, has suggested that it could accept a uranium enrichment program in Iran, as long as it was limited, similar to the nuclear deal signed by former President Barack Obama in 2015. Trump canceled that deal in 2018, and Iran has since significantly expanded its enrichment program.
The U.S. and Iran are scheduled to hold a fourth round of talks this weekend in Rome.
Deal with the Houthis, praise for “courage”
The nuclear talks come days after Oman brokered a deal between the U.S. and the Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel group in Yemen.
Under the deal, the U.S. suspended its strikes in Yemen, and the Houthis promised to stop attacking U.S. ships in the Red Sea.
On Wednesday, reports emerged that Iran had pressured the Houthis to accept the deal to help with nuclear negotiations with the United States.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was confident the Houthis would abide by the deal.
“We hit them hard.
They showed great resilience.
You could say there was a lot of courage there,” he said, praising the group’s resilience.
Negotiations are moving forward, but with clear conditions
On Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance said during a meeting in Washington that negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program were on the right track.
He said Iran could have civilian nuclear power, but not an enrichment program that would allow it to develop nuclear weapons.
“We don’t care if they want nuclear power.
That’s fine, but they can’t have an enrichment program that would lead to a nuclear weapon.
That’s where we draw the line,” he explained.
The U.S.-Iran talks began on April 12, marking the highest-level contact between the two countries since the U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 during Trump’s first term.
When asked whether a new deal would be similar to the 2015 deal, Vance criticized the previous agreement, saying its inspection system was “very weak” and allowed Iran to continue on its path to developing a nuclear weapon.
“We believe there is a deal that is possible that integrates Iran into the global economy, that is good for the Iranian people, but that completely eliminates any chance of them ever getting a nuclear weapon.
That’s what we’re looking for,” he concluded.
The short story: Trump wants to destroy Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, preferably with a deal, but he is prepared to use force if necessary.
He has not yet decided whether to allow Iran to have a limited nuclear program.
Negotiations with Iran are ongoing, and the U.S. has also reached a deal with the Houthis, praising their “courage.” The aim is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, but there is room for civilian nuclear power under strict conditions.
Published in 05/08/2025 14h53
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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