Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran cannot do anything regarding its nuclear program without approval from Washington and that he would soon decide whether to resume renewed military operations against Tehran.
President Donald Trump in New Jersey, on July 19, 2026. David Ramos/Getty ImagesTrump’s remarks on Thursday came during an Oval Office exchange with reporters, who asked for comment on reports that Iranian negotiators are reviewing a new proposal put forward by regional mediators for a deal that would constrain Iran’s nuclear program.
“It doesn’t make any difference what they’re looking at,” Trump said. “They’re not going to have a nuclear weapon; they know that. So do I.”
Trump said that he would soon decide whether to resume major combat operations in Iran, clarifying that his preference would be for a negotiated solution rather than destruction of the Middle Eastern country.
“In Iran we are there for seven months, and we control everything that we’ve wanted to control, and now we'll make a decision: do we want to go further,” he said.
“I think it‘ll take them 25 years to rebuild the country. I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I’ll have to; you'll know soon enough.”
For weeks, Trump has threatened to return to a full-scale bombardment of Iran after the midterm elections if Tehran remained unwilling to reach a negotiated settlement on terms acceptable to the
