US President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his stance that Tehran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons and that Washington is doing "extremely well" as the conflict continues between the two adversaries.
He made the remarks while unveiling his Ratepayer Protection Pledge, at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington DC.
On Iran, he said, "We're doing very well against the Islamic Republic of Iran--we're doing extremely well. They would like to do something, but I say they're not ready yet. They need more of the same. They've got some evil intentions. We cannot let them have a nuclear weapon."
Trump said that Iran cannot be allowed to even consider acquiring nuclear weapons.
He said, "We cannot let them even think about having nuclear weapons and that is exactly what is happening. They will never have a nuclear weapon... This shouldve been done by other American Presidents or other countries. It didnt have to be us but if we dont do it nobody else will, but I will and nobody else has the capability to do it."
Trump recalled that during first term the US built the greatest military anywhere in the world, which he added was being used more than he had anticipated and said, "We are using it (military) a little more than we thought and that is why we have Venezuela... We've paid for that war many times over. We are taking millions and millions of barrels of oil..."
Meanwhile, the US Central Command claimed on Thursday that since resuming the naval blockade against Iran nine days ago, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled 1 to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal areas.
Also on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that Iran would continue to "pay a very heavy price" for its actions, saying President Donald Trump's approach was "a head for an eye," as he accused Tehran of repeatedly failing to honour agreements and signalled that Washington would maintain pressure until Iran was ready for a deal.
His statement came as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Army launched retaliatory strikes targeting American military infrastructure in Kuwait and Jordan, asserting the destruction of key air defence systems, logistical depots, and drone facilities.
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