Trump: Reports of US-Israel Cooperation to Turn Iran into a Pile of Ashes are Grossly Exaggerated

The President of the United States, in a recent comment regarding Iran's nuclear program, stated that reports suggesting the US, in cooperation with Israel, intends to turn Iran into a 'pile of ashes' are 'grossly exaggerated.' Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Wednesday, February 6, that the United States is seeking a verifiable nuclear agreement with Tehran that would allow the country to thrive peacefully. He reiterated that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons and emphasized the need to act immediately to achieve a new agreement, stating that once this agreement is completed and signed, 'the Middle East will celebrate greatly.' This is one of several comments Trump has made about Iran in the past 24 hours. On Tuesday, after issuing a memo to revive 'maximum pressure' on Iran, he remarked that his directive in this regard is very strict but expressed willingness to meet with the Iranian President to encourage Tehran to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons. He also noted that he was 'hesitant' to issue the presidential memo and hoped it would not need to be used. The US President once again stressed that Iran should not acquire nuclear weapons and added that it is our right to prevent the sale of Iranian oil. Trump stated he has given directives that if Iran attempts to assassinate him, it will be obliterated. Iran and six world powers reached an agreement in July 2015 to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, but Trump withdrew from this agreement in May 2018 during his first term and imposed severe sanctions on Iran, launching a 'maximum pressure' campaign against it. This campaign included increasing economic pressure through hundreds of sanctions, severe criticism of human rights conditions in Iran, and actions such as the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Two weeks ago, Trump mentioned in an interview with Fox News that if he had entered the White House four years ago, he could have reached an agreement with Iran 'within a week.' In response to a question from the host about whether he trusts the Iranian government, he stated that an agreement must be reached that provides ways for complete trust and has a precise timeline. Trump's remarks on Tuesday were met with reactions from various officials in the government of Masoud Pezeshkian, who stated that Iran is not seeking to 'build nuclear weapons' and deemed this issue 'resolvable.' According to reports and statements made by international media and some American and Israeli officials in recent weeks, Iran is expected to face a difficult year in 2024 due to setbacks suffered by its proxy forces, which has made it 'extraordinarily weak' in the Middle East. Assessments indicate that with the onset of Trump's second term in 2025, an even tougher year lies ahead for Tehran, and this may hinder negotiations between the two countries and the achievement of a new agreement. These reports and statements attribute the weakening of the Islamic Republic to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the extremist group Hamas in Gaza, the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, and the destruction of a significant portion of Iran's air defense systems in direct Israeli attacks in retaliation for Tehran's missile strikes on Israeli territory. Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced that the country is ready to play a mediating role in resolving the crisis related to Iran's nuclear program. Majid Al-Ansari, the spokesperson for this ministry, emphasized in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, February 6, that Qatar has previously played such a role and is capable of doing so again. This Qatari official also noted that his country is currently involved in ten mediation processes simultaneously, including mediation between Hamas and Israel.