Trump: Iran Is ‘in Great Danger’ if Talks About Nuclear Program Are Unsuccessful

The United States is speaking directly with Iran regarding its nuclear program, as President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are committed to preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon.

Trump detailed the “direct talks with Iran” while speaking with reporters alongside Netanyahu in the Oval Office, after the prime minister noted America and Israel remain “united in the goal that Iran does not ever get nuclear weapons.”

“We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started… On Saturday we have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen, and I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious,” Trump said.

“And the obvious is not something that I want to be involved with, or, frankly, that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it. So we’re going to see if we can avoid it, but it’s getting to be very dangerous territory,” he added.

Trump emphasized that Iran’s best interest is to strike a deal with the United States.

“Hopefully, those talks will be successful. And I think it would be in Iran’s best interest if they are successful. We hope that’s going to happen,” he said.

Trump further said if the talks on Saturday are not fruitful, then Iran will be in “great danger.”

“I think if the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger. And I hate to say it — great danger — because they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump’s announcement of a forthcoming meeting with Iran comes after he has carried out airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. On Friday, he posted a video of a bombing of Houthis, who he says were gathered to plan an attack.

“These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again!” he posted.

Last week, the UK Telegraph reported that Iran was withdrawing military personnel from Yemen as the Trump administration carried out strikes.

“A senior Iranian official said the move aimed to avoid direct confrontation with the US if an Iranian soldier was killed,” per the outlet.