Washington, 27 June 2025:
Former President Donald Trump stated today that he has given up on easing sanctions against Iran and that he would "definitely" think about approving additional military strikes should Tehran's uranium enrichment continue at alarming rates.
“I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more," Trump confirmed during a White House press conference. When asked if he would consider more bombing raids on Iranian nuclear installations, he responded emphatically: “Sure, without question, absolutely”.
Trump claimed that three Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, had been "completely and totally obliterated" by US airstrikes carried out over the weekend in cooperation with Israel. He asserted that he personally stopped Israel from killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader. Trump declared, "His country was decimated," and added, "I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death." Trump also expressed support for the International Atomic Energy Agency to conduct new inspections at the facilities that were bombed. He stated that granting access to the IAEA or other reliable parties was "important." However, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has rejected additional IAEA access, and Iran's parliament has moved to halt inspections.
In contrast to earlier this month, when he had considered lifting sanctions to aid Iran's post conflict recovery, the former president made a dramatic change. After Ayatollah Khamenei made a bold claim that Iran "slapped America in the face," he changed his mind. Trump's position coincides with a tense ceasefire between Israel and Iran after a fierce battle that was triggered by the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21. Analysts warn that Iran's nuclear program might still be active even though U.S. intelligence indicates that the strikes caused significant damage.
Trump's claims of complete destruction have not been independently verified by the Pentagon. The administration's willingness to use both military pressure and diplomacy was demonstrated by the presence of military officials at the press briefing, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Iran is under increasing pressure as military threats are imminent and sanctions relief is no longer an option. It is unclear what it will do next, whether it will resume nuclear enrichment or resume diplomatic efforts. Trump says "all options are on the table" as IAEA access and talks with Tehran stall.
