The former US president and Republican candidate for President Donald Trump has said he does not seek to be enemies with Iran, but he will not allow the country to have nuclear weapons.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump warned that if Iran gets nuclear weapons, "Israel will not have them."
Trump and other Republicans have criticized the administration of current President Joe Biden for being too soft on Iran, allowing it to circumvent US economic sanctions. They claim that this leniency allowed Tehran to arm Hamas, making it easier to attack Israel on October 7.
Trump withdrew from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal that curbed Iran's nuclear program, calling it a "bad deal" that failed to address Iran's ballistic missile program and malign activities in the Middle East. When he signed the withdrawal order in May 2018, Trump reimposed sanctions on oil exports and international banking.
On Sunday, Trump repeated his criticism, claiming that four years ago Iran was financially constrained to support terrorist organizations or attack Israel. He claims Iran now has $300 billion, a figure far beyond what is plausible based on available data, although Tehran has indeed increased its oil sales over the past three years.
During Trump's presidency, Iran sold just 300,000 barrels of oil a day, generating far less revenue than needed to import essential goods. Since Biden took office, Iran's oil exports have steadily increased, reaching about 1.5 million barrels a day, generating an estimated $30 billion a year — a far cry from the $300 billion Trump claimed.
However, Trump said: "People couldn't buy oil from them. I didn't let them." While China remains Iran's main oil customer, the Biden administration has struggled to prevent Beijing from violating sanctions. The revenue from these oil sales has not made Iran rich, but it has provided the Islamic government with more financial flexibility. In addition, the Biden administration last year authorized the unblocking of $16 billion of Iran's frozen funds in South Korea and Iraq.
Trump claims: "I don't want to be an enemy with Iran. I'd like to get along with them, but they can't have nuclear weapons. You simply cannot allow them to have nuclear weapons. But I will say this: if they have nuclear weapons, Israel does not." He also said in June that he does not seek enmity with Iran.
The Iranian government is reportedly watching the US presidential election with concern, particularly about a possible Trump victory. Iran watchers generally believe that a Harris administration would be more beneficial to Tehran, as it might not strictly enforce sanctions.
Meanwhile, Iran has accelerated its nuclear program over the past three years, enriching a significant amount of uranium. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, have warned that Tehran could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a bomb within weeks.