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I Mean, Is He Wrong

Donald Trump: Iran will be "obliterated" if it assassinates me; Palestinians have "no choice" but to leave Gaza

President Donald Trump signed an order to impose "maximum pressure" sanctions on Iran and said that Iran is "too close" to a nuclear weapon.

President Donald Trump.
Photo: Jonah Elkowitz / Shutterstock.com

As promised in his campaign, President Donald Trump signed an order to impose "maximum pressure" sanctions on Iran today (Tuesday) to deter it from developing nuclear weapons and due to its support of terrorist activity throughout the region.

While signing the order, Trump said that Iran is "too close" to a nuclear weapon, and he also said that if Iran tried to assassinate him in response to the sanctions - which American intelligence sources said was their intention during his campaign - then Iran would be wiped out. Trump also said that he hopes to speak with the Iranian President soon.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has indicated an interest in negotiating with the American President over the nuclear weapons issue, especially as Iran is suffering from compounding economic problems at home including rampant inflation, a collapsing currency, mounting unemployment, and serious fuel shortages, and desires relief from US sanctions.

However, Pezeshkian cannot act on his own, and any talks with the President must be approved by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who has not yet said whether he himself is interested in such a dialogue.

Iran has repeatedly and consistently denied that its development of nuclear technology is aimed at developing nuclear weapons, despite multiple western nations including Britain, France, Germany, and the United States noting that much of Iran's technology and uranium enrichment can only be used for that purpose.

The Iranian claim that a fatwa was issued by Supreme Leader Khamenei which forbids the development and possession of such weapons as forbidden by religious law has also been criticized on the grounds that it is an advisory opinion rather than a religiously binding one.

While signing the sanctions order, Trump reiterated his belief that the Palestinians "have no choice" but to leave Gaza due to most of the Strip being ruined or devastated by the war, thus showing the seriousness of his determination to relocated the Gazan population to another country, at least temporarily.


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