President Donald Trump said Iran must abandon any pursuit of nuclear weapons, warning that the United States could take further action if Tehran continues its efforts.
“We’re going to find out where they stand right now on nuclear," Trump said. “They can’t have nuclear weapons. They have to stop," he told CNBC.
Trump also claimed that Iran halted the killing of protesters after he issued a warning last week about possible U.S. military action. According to Trump, Iranian authorities had planned mass executions but reversed course following his remarks.
“They were going to hang 837 people on Thursday," he said. “I told them, ‘You can’t do that.’"
Trump added that he hopes additional action will not be necessary, alleging that Iranian security forces had been firing on civilians in the streets.
Addressing Iran’s nuclear program more broadly, Trump asserted that without U.S. intervention last June with Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran would have obtained a nuclear weapon within a month.
“We hit them hard with B-2 bombers," Trump said, noting that the aircraft were undetectable and that all bombs struck their targets. He added that the United States has since ordered 25 more of the bombers.
“They keep experimenting with nuclear, but at some point they’re going to get the idea that they can’t do that."