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By Sean Rayment
President Donald Trump warned that he would order fresh attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities should Tehran attempt to restart the sites bombed by the United States last month.
Trump issued the threat during talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his Turnberry golf resort on the west coast of Scotland.
Iran, which denies seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, has insisted it will not abandon domestic uranium enrichment despite the bombing of three nuclear sites.
Trump told reporters that Iran had been sending out “nasty signals” and that any effort to restart its nuclear programme would be immediately crushed.
“We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it,” the US President said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was fully aware of the impact of what he called American-Israeli aggression and warned that any repeat of such actions would prompt a decisive response.
“If aggression is repeated, we will not hesitate to react in a more decisive manner and in a way that will be IMPOSSIBLE to cover up,” Araghchi posted on X, without providing further details.
The US launched strikes last month on Iranian nuclear facilities that Washington claimed were part of a programme aimed at developing nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is for purely civilian purposes.
Speaking to Al Jazeera last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would not abandon its nuclear programme but remained open to negotiations.
He added that he was “not very optimistic” about the ceasefire that ended the 12-day war with Iran.
Israeli officials have signalled a willingness to resume attacks on Iran, including strikes aimed at toppling the country’s leadership.
Earlier this week, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he wanted to send a message to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“If you continue to threaten Israel, our long arm will reach Tehran again with even greater power – and this time personally to you, too,” he said, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
Analysts have said US approval would be all but essential for any Israeli resumption of attacks on Iran.
Trump had initially hailed the 22 June US attacks on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan facilities as having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, more recent intelligence reports have suggested the damage may have been less severe, setting the programme back by a shorter timeframe.
Over the weekend, the US President called Iran’s persistence in pursuing its nuclear programme “stupid”.
During his first term, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a deal reached between Iran, the US and several European powers that saw Tehran curtail its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.
In turn, Iran began enriching uranium beyond the limits set out in the agreement but has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear weapon.
Upon taking office in January, Trump initially sought a new nuclear deal with Iran but soon adopted a zero-enrichment policy long dismissed by Iranian negotiators as a non-starter.
Speaking on Friday, Trump also accused Iran of intervening in the latest round of talks aimed at ending Israel’s war in Gaza, which collapsed last week with both the Israeli and US delegations walking out of negotiations in Qatar.
“I think they got involved in this negotiation, telling Hamas and giving Hamas signals and orders,” Trump said, without providing further details to support the claim.
Iran did not immediately respond to Trump’s most recent comments.
