U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Iran the "most destructive force" in the Middle East, blaming Tehran for instability across the region and warning that the United States will never allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. Reuters/Brian Snyder
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Iran the "most destructive force" in the Middle East, blaming Tehran for instability across the region and warning that the United States will never allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Offering what he described as both a final warning and a potential opening for diplomacy, Trump said Iran has a choice between continuing its "chaos and terror" or embracing a path toward peace.
Tehran has repeatedly denied accusations of fomenting Middle East instability.
Trump said he was willing to strike a new deal with the Islamic Republic but only if its leaders changed course.
"I want to make a deal with Iran," he said. "But if Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch..., we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure."
Speaking at an investment summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Trump warned that "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon", and said his offer for a deal won't last forever.
Trump also drew a stark contrast between what he called the "constructive vision" of Saudi Arabia and the "collapse and suffering" he said had been caused by Iranian leaders.
"There could be no sharper contrast with the path you have pursued on the Arabian Peninsula than the disaster unfolding right across in the Gulf of Iran," Trump added.
By Gram Slattery and Nandita Bose
Hezbollah has received $200 million from Iran to help Lebanese displaced by this year’s war with Israel, two people with direct knowledge of the transfer said, the first significant aid from the group to supporters who bore the brunt of the conflict.
Seven months into this war, the Islamic Republic is in the tightest corner of its forty-seven years. That is not cheerleading; it is arithmetic.
US Vice President JD Vance said in an exclusive interview with Reuters that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the countries’ seven-month war, even as Washington was unsure how Tehran makes decisions in negotiations.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.