Overview
Speaking on the "Fox and Friends" program, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that talks with Iran had been positive, but he reaffirmed threats to strike a site known as Pickaxe Mountain as well as bridges and power plants should Tehran fail to reach an agreement. He characterized the situation as delicate and said he prefers not to target civilian infrastructure if a deal can be made.
Remarks from the interview
Trump told the Fox News program, "It’s a very, very delicate balance. So I think we have a very strong position right now. They know I’m going to do that if they don’t make a deal." He added, "We cannot have them break deals anymore." Speaking directly about the state of discussions, the president said, "We have had some very good talks."
On Pickaxe Mountain and infrastructure targets
When asked about reporting that Israel’s prime minister planned to raise work at a site tied to Iran’s nuclear program called Pickaxe Mountain, Trump replied, "I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi’s telling me that because he wants me to stay involved." He went on to say, "I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe. It’s not a big problem. We took out their nuclear sites, and we’ll have to take out Pickaxe if we don’t make a deal. We don’t make a deal, we’ll take it out very easily."
Context and upcoming meeting
The president is due to meet later on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The meeting comes after the two countries launched strikes against Iran in February. Trump emphasized a preference to avoid strikes on bridges and power plants if possible, but reiterated that such options were on the table if Iran did not reach an agreement.
Key takeaways
- Trump described negotiations with Iran as "very good" while retaining the threat of targeted strikes if no deal is made.
- He named Pickaxe Mountain as a potential military target and mentioned bridges and power plants as infrastructure that could be hit if necessary.
- The president is to meet Israel’s prime minister at the White House following joint strikes against Iran in February.