Trump Says Iran Will Never Get Nuclear Weapons After Washington Rally

President Donald Trump reiterated overnight, between Wednesday and Thursday, that Iran will never have nuclear weapons, telling a large crowd at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., that the issue is “finished.” He said, “Last week we signed a historic agreement to end the conflict with Iran, fully open the Strait of Hormuz, and achieve what no president managed before: Iran will never have nuclear weapons, it’s over,” drawing loud applause.

Trump also portrayed Iran as militarily destroyed, crediting the U.S. military’s “strength and skill” and claiming Iran now has no navy, no air force, no air defenses, no missile launchers, no production capability, and that its leadership has been “completely eliminated.” His remarks came amid growing friction over how the understandings with Iran are being implemented, especially on nuclear oversight and fees in the Strait of Hormuz.

In recent days, disputes have emerged over monitoring Iran’s nuclear program and over reported attempts to charge vessels passing through the strait. Trump issued a sharp clarification warning that if Iran is found to be demanding payments from ships, the negotiations will stop immediately.

The comments also follow Tehran’s outright rejection of reports that it agreed to resume nuclear inspections. Iranian officials denied that the nuclear issue was discussed and said they did not agree to restore International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, despite Trump posting on social media that Iran had agreed “fully and completely” to the highest-level nuclear checks.