Trump Says Iran Wants a Deal but Must 'Kidnap More' Before It's Ready
US President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric against Iran, stating that while Tehran desires a deal, it is not yet ready and "needs to kidnap more." Trump emphasized that Iran harbors malicious intentions regarding its nuclear program and vowed that the country will never obtain nuclear weapons. He compared the current US stance on Iran to past prolonged conflicts in Vietnam and Afghanistan, highlighting that the US has been engaged with Iran for only four months and aims to prevent violent actors from acquiring nuclear arms.
Earlier on the same day, Trump suggested he is considering a large-scale military strike against Iran, which he described as potentially "the biggest ever" if Tehran continues on its current path and ignores US demands. He also mentioned that Israel would join such an operation if requested. Despite these threats, Israeli officials believe the US is increasing pressure on Iran but does not currently intend to involve Israel in an attack unless Israel itself is attacked.
In Israel, the comments gained added significance after Likud MK Moshe Saada hinted in an interview that an attack on Iran might occur as soon as the upcoming weekend. Meanwhile, amid rising tensions, several Israeli municipalities including Herzliya, Eilat, Ramat Gan, and Karmiel have opened public bomb shelters and increased emergency preparedness, although there has been no official change in Home Front Command directives.
Separately, Trump sought to calm concerns about a civilian nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia by stating on his social media platform that the deal would be contingent on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with Israel. He stressed that the agreement would focus solely on peaceful nuclear energy without uranium enrichment, aiming to prevent a regional nuclear arms race. This linkage is seen as an effort to pressure Saudi Arabia toward normalization with Israel despite previous Saudi conditions.
Overall, Trump's statements reflect a firm US policy against Iran's nuclear ambitions, a readiness to consider military options, and a strategic push for broader Middle East normalization involving Saudi Arabia and Israel.
