Trump urges 'Real End' to Iran nukes

Shafaq News

5 hours ago

Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump called for a 'real end' to Iran's nuclear ambitions and hinted at possible diplomatic engagement, as Tehran and Tel Aviv continued exchanging missile and drone attacks for the fifth consecutive day.
Trump floated the idea of dispatching US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance for potential talks with Tehran. 'I may,' he remarked aboard Air Force One, according to a CBS reporter posting on X after Trump departed the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada on Monday.
BREAKING: Trump wants "a real end" to the nuclear problem with Iran and this morning will find him in the White House Situation Room, monitoring developments in Middle East, he told us during his midnight departure from Canada. "I didn't say I was looking for a ceasefire," he…
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 17, 2025
The US president also warned that Israel was unlikely to ease its military operations against Iran. 'You're going to find out over the next two days. Nobody's slowed up so far,' the reporter quoted him as saying. A Politico pool report noted that Trump is pushing for a 'complete give up' of Iran's nuclear program—calling it essential to any possible deal.
Since Friday, Israeli warplanes have carried out wide-scale strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities that killed senior commanders and leading scientists, alleging that Iran was approaching the point of no return in its nuclear weapons pursuit. Iran, which maintains its program is purely peaceful, responded with successive missile and drone attacks targeting Israeli cities and military bases, as both sides report rising casualties.
While Israel claims it now controls Iranian airspace and plans further escalation, a US intelligence assessment reported by CNN revealed that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon and 'was also up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver one to a target of its choosing.'
Trump doubled down in a Truth Social post late Monday: 'Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!'
His rhetoric drew strong criticism from Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused Trump on Tuesday of exacerbating the conflict. 'Fanning the flames, pouring oil, making threats and mounting pressure will only intensify and widen the conflict,' he said, urging influential actors to intervene and reduce tensions.