Trump says 'all hell will rain down' if Iran violates understanding on nuclear weapons
Donald Trump said Iran must never possess nuclear weapons under a planned Geneva agreement, while praising Qatar's mediation efforts
Iran’s alleged attempt to possess nuclear weapons once again seemed to have become an irritant in its negations with the US following intense military conflict between the two sides, as President Donald Trump on Tuesday (June 16) warned the Islamic Republic that any attempt to violate the agreement on not to possess nuclear weapons will have severe consequences.
Warning ahead of peace deal
The US President’s warning to Iran comes days ahead of the much-awaited peace deal signing between Washington and Tehran on Friday (June 19) in Geneva.
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Trump issued the warning during a high-level meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.
‘All hell will rain down’
Trump framed the emerging US-Iran accord as a decisive effort to eliminate concerns over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. The agreement, he said, leaves no ambiguity about Washington's central objective.
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"The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear," Trump told reporters as quoted by ANI. The warning came alongside his assertion that "all hell will rain down" if Iran violates the understanding and seeks to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Military pressure cited
Trump acknowledged that military pressure had played a role in bringing the parties to the negotiating table. Reflecting on recent hostilities, he said, "I didn't want to attack them last week, but we had no choice," before expressing satisfaction that negotiations had ultimately produced an agreement.
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Pointing out that Qatar emerged as a central player in the diplomacy, Trump praised Doha's mediation efforts and strategic role throughout the crisis, saying, "We are very, very impressed with Qatar and the way they handled things." He further stated that working with Qatar had been "really a pleasure" and commended the country's "great bravery."
Praise for Qatar's role
The US President expressed his frustration with the military actions of Israel that had threatened to complicate the negotiations. He said he "didn't like" an Israeli strike on Beirut carried out just hours before the agreement was finalised.
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"I let them know that. I didn't like that, not at all," said Trump.
As for Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump argued the conflict had dragged on for too long and questioned the scale of destruction in civilian areas.
Criticism of Israeli actions
"You don't have to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody because there's a lot of people in those apartment houses - and they're not all Hezbollah," said Trump.
Despite tensions with Tel Aviv, Trump insisted the agreement with Iran could withstand regional turbulence. Describing the Lebanon conflict as "the minor war," he stressed that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained the defining priority of US policy in the Middle East.