If necessary, will bomb Iran again: Trump
US President Donald Trump walks on the day of a "One Big Beautiful" event at the White House in Washington, DC., US, June 26, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
President Donald Trump said on Friday he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran was enriching uranium to a level that concerned the United States, and he backed inspections of Iran's bombed nuclear sites.
"Sure, without question, absolutely," Trump said when asked about the possibility of new bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point.
At a White House news conference, Trump said he plans to respond soon to comments from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei, who said Iran "slapped America in the face" by launching an attack against a major US base in Qatar following last weekend's US bombing raid.
Later, the US president responded by saying that he had prevented Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from being assassinated, as he lashed out at Iran's supreme leader for saying Tehran won the war with Israel.
"I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH," Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that he had stopped work on easing sanctions against Iran following Khamenei's comments.
Trump also said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency or another respected source to be able to inspect Iran's nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend.
Trump said he believes the sites were "obliterated." He has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said. But Trump said he would support the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, going in to check the sites that were bombed.
The agency's chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13.
However, Iran's parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump also said he does not believe Iran wants to still seek a nuclear weapon after US and Israeli bombing raids. He said Iran still wants to meet about the way forward. The White House had said on Thursday that no meeting between the US and an Iranian delegation has been scheduled thus far.
Iran's refusal
Iran on Saturday rejected a request by UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi to visit facilities bombed by Israel and the United States, saying that it suggested "malign intent".
International Atomic Energy Agency director general "Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.
"Iran reserves the right to take any steps in defence of its interests, its people and its sovereignty."
Araghchi again hit out at Grossi personally for not speaking out against the Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, describing it as an "astounding betrayal of his duties".
He charged that the IAEA chief had "directly facilitated... the unlawful Israeli and US bombings" by "obfuscating" Iran's efforts to allay the watchdog's concerns in a May 31 report that accused it of "less than satisfactory" cooperation.
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