Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump addressed false rumors of plans to attack Iran after he signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) on Tuesday to stop the Middle Eastern nation from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Trump shared the comments in a post on Truth Social Wednesday morning.
“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens,” ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,” he wrote.
“I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper. We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!” he added.
The memorandum denies both nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, allowing economic sanctions to enforce the effort.
“The NSPM establishes that: Iran should be denied a nuclear weapon and intercontinental ballistic missiles; Iran’s terrorist network should be neutralized; and Iran’s aggressive development of missiles, as well as other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities, should be countered,” the text reads.
“The NSPM directs the Secretary of the Treasury to impose maximum economic pressure on the Government of Iran, including by sanctioning or imposing enforcement mechanisms on those acting in violation of existing sanctions,” it continues.
The effort also came as Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday. The two leaders also discussed the situation in Gaza, with discussions of America becoming more involved in the rebuilding of the area.
Hostages began being released by Hamas in Gaza just before Trump’s inauguration following a ceasefire agreement.
“I don’t think people should be going back,” Trump said. “You can’t live in Gaza right now. I think we need another location. I think it should be a location that’s going to make people happy.”
“You look over the decades, it’s all death in Gaza,” Trump said. “This has been happening for years. It’s all death. If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza.”
