Trump: We Will Not Allow Iran to Acquire Nuclear Weapons

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, reiterated on Thursday evening, December 6, that the U.S. will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, referencing the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran. Speaking at a ceremony marking the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah at the White House, Trump stated: 'We withdrew from a very terrible deal with Iran. A deal that should never have happened, and we have imposed the toughest sanctions against Iran. Only a few countries in the world have faced such sanctions.' On May 8, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and reinstated suspended sanctions in mid-August and November of this year. The return of U.S. sanctions against Iran is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to compel Iran to abandon its nuclear and missile programs, as well as to stop supporting Tehran's proxy groups in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and other parts of the Middle East. The U.S. President further emphasized: 'We must never allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons or a nuclear bomb. We cannot allow the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism to acquire nuclear weapons.' Trump stressed: 'We cannot allow a country that chants 'Death to America' and openly states it wants to destroy Israel to acquire the deadliest weapons in the world. We will never allow that to happen.' Meanwhile, senior officials of the Islamic Republic assert that 'Iran's nuclear activities have always been peaceful and are aimed at achieving energy production technology.' In another part of his remarks, Trump highlighted support for Israel and referred to the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The U.S. President stated: 'My administration will always stand by Israel.' On December 6, 2017, Trump recognized Jerusalem (Al-Quds) as the capital of Israel and ordered the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This action sparked outrage among Palestinians. Palestinians and a large part of the international community emphasize that East Jerusalem, Al-Quds, which has been under Israeli control for 51 years, should be the capital of a state established for Palestinians.