Trump's 14-year history opposing Iranian nukes counters media spin he'd allow them
Axios reported earlier this month that as part of a deal to ease U.S. sanctions offered to Iran by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, "would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil for a to-be-determined period of time." This was something the outlet said risked backlash from Trump allies on Capitol Hill and in Israel.
Shortly after the Axios story, Trump posted on Truth Social that "under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!"
The AP reported that Trump's message "appeared to undercut a proposal that was offered" by his administration and that Witkoff and the president "have repeatedly offered inconsistent public messages about whether Iran would be allowed to retain the capacity to enrich uranium to lower levels for civilian purposes."
Trump, however, has consistently said that he would not, under any circumstances, allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.
Dating back to 2011, Trump has gone on the record voicing his belief that Iran should not have access to nuclear weapons over three dozen times.
As early as his 2011 book "Time to Get Tough," Trump said: "America's primary goal with Iran must be to destroy its nuclear ambitions. Let me put them as plainly as I know how: Iran's nuclear program must be stopped by any and all means necessary. Period. We cannot allow this radical regime to acquire a nuclear weapon that they will either use or hand off to terrorists."
He has also made clear his stance that Iran should not even be allowed to further develop nuclear arms, saying in a 2011 tweet that "Iran's nuclear program must be stopped – by any and all means necessary."
Then, after announcing his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump criticized President Barack Obama for negotiating "a disastrous deal with Iran," saying, "Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and, under a Trump Administration, will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon."
Then again, in 2017, Trump was quoted by NPR saying, "We will deny the regime all paths to a nuclear weapon."
On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump said repeatedly that nuclear ramping up is "the biggest risk we have." In an interview with Patrick Bet-David "the real threat isn't global warming. The real threat is -- threat is nuclear warming."
Referring to Iran, he said, "they're very close to having a nuclear weapon," and "I wanted Iran to be very successful. I just don't want them to have a nuclear weapon."
He also criticized former President Joe Biden, saying he "should never have allowed them to get this far. They're way -- they're way advanced now."
While campaigning, Trump was recorded at least 34 times saying Iran should have no way of developing nuclear weapons, a Fox News Digital review of video shows.
"They can't have a nuclear weapon. And now, they're very close to having one, and it's very dangerous for the world, very dangerous for the world. I mean, the biggest -- the biggest problem today, in my opinion, the biggest risk is the nuclear weapons, the weaponry. It's so powerful today," he said in a campaign rally in Milwaukee in October.
"They're financing Hamas, and they're financing Hezbollah … they go around, saying, 'Death to Israel. Death to America.' And they chant it openly all over the place. Don't let Iran have nuclear weapons. That's my only thing I have to tell you today. Don't let them have it," he said at a campaign event in Clive, Iowa.
Iran has repeatedly said it will not agree to a uranium enrichment ban, arguing it has the right to the process, which is also vital for nuclear energy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Monday reiterated this point in a press conference from Egypt, and, according to the Tasnim News Agency, said he plans to respond to the U.S. proposal soon.
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