‘Israel will lead military attack if Iran advances nuclear program:’ Trump

US President Donald Trump has warned that if Iran continues to advance its nuclear weapons program, he would ask Israel to lead a military strike on Tehran.

“If it requires military [action], we’re going to have military,” Trump said. “Israel will obviously be very much involved in that they’ll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us; we do what we want to do.”

Earlier this week, Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss several key issues, with the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East topping the agenda.

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The 78-year-old president made these remarks on Wednesday, just days before a scheduled round of talks between US officials and Iranian representatives in Oman.

Netanyahu, who played a pivotal role in persuading Trump to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, expressed cautious support for the upcoming negotiations. However, he stressed that Iran must not be allowed any opportunity to develop nuclear weapons.

Known for his hardline stance on Tehran, Netanyahu suggested that a model similar to Libya’s 2003 nuclear disarmament deal should be pursued in the talks with Iran. The Libyan deal saw former leader Muammar Gaddafi abandon his secret nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and international reintegration.

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Trump, however, did not specify a timeline for the conclusion of the negotiations with Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran has no intention of developing a nuclear bomb. He also expressed a willingness to encourage American investment in Iran, signaling a more diplomatic tone ahead of the upcoming talks.