Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon: Trump
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- President Donald Trump says the United States will act if Iran resumes its nuclear program, while expressing hope to avoid further military action.
- The IAEA says disputes over inspections and Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile cannot continue indefinitely.
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, while signaling he hopes to avoid additional military action unless Tehran resumes its nuclear program.
Speaking to CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Trump said Washington would assess Iran’s current nuclear status and respond if necessary.
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“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “We will find out where they stand now with their nuclear program. They cannot continue this program, and it must stop completely.”
Military pressure and protests
Trump said he hopes no further military steps will be required but did not rule them out. He claimed Iran halted executions of protesters after he warned last week of possible military action.
“They were going to hang eight hundred thirty-seven people on Thursday,” Trump said. “I told them you cannot do that.”
He added that Iranian forces had been firing randomly at people in the streets, while stressing that additional steps remain possible if circumstances demand.
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The comments follow US strikes in June on sites linked to Iran’s nuclear program. Trump later considered further attacks as tensions rose alongside internal protests in Iran that began in late December 2025.
Nuclear inspections under scrutiny
In related remarks, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said Tuesday that the standoff with Iran over monitoring its highly enriched uranium stockpile and inspecting bombed nuclear sites “should not go on forever.”
Grossi told Reuters on the sidelines of the Davos forum that inspectors have visited all Iranian nuclear facilities that were not struck, totaling thirteen sites. However, the agency has been unable to inspect three key locations hit in June: Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
He said Iran must submit a detailed report on what occurred at those sites and on the status of nuclear materials there, including an estimated four hundred forty point nine kilograms of uranium enriched up to sixty percent.
Rising proliferation concerns
The IAEA has warned that uranium enriched to that level is close to the ninety percent threshold required for nuclear weapons. According to the agency, the existing stockpile could be sufficient to produce up to ten nuclear bombs if enrichment were increased.
The agency says resolving inspection access and accounting for nuclear material remains critical to preventing further escalation.
