President Donald Trump said Monday he prefers a diplomatic deal with Iran, but warned that if talks fail, the US will 'finish the job' of dismantling Iranian infrastructure. In separate remarks, he said he is not interested in regime change in Tehran and can 'destroy all their infrastructure in a moment.'
President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated a dual-track message toward Iran, expressing a preference for diplomacy while issuing stark military threats if talks fail. In remarks circulated by Israeli media, Trump said he 'prefers to close a deal' with Tehran, but warned: 'if not — we'll finish the job.' He separately stated he is 'not interested in regime change in Iran,' and claimed he could 'destroy all their infrastructure in a moment and they know it.' The threat to 'finish the job' echoes earlier warnings from the day that he could 'wipe out all of Iran's power plants by afternoon,' as reported at 17:20 Jerusalem, and comes hours after he first claimed the US is 'nearing a deal' with Iran.
The Monday exchange marks the latest in a series of escalating threats and diplomatic signals from Trump over recent weeks. At 17:20 Jerusalem on Monday, The Zioneer reported that Trump threatened to destroy all Iranian power plants by afternoon while preferring a deal. Minutes later, at 17:20 Jerusalem, a second dispatch reported Trump claiming the US is 'close to a deal' and prepared to dismantle Iranian infrastructure 'in a moment.' The current remarks add a clarification on regime change — which he rejected — and reframe the threat as 'finishing the job.' Across the thread, Trump's tone has shifted: earlier this month he said Iran 'wants a deal more than I do' and has 'taken hits' (reported Jun 11, 23:16 Jerusalem); last week he warned Iran must stop its Lebanon proxies 'immediately' or face stronger US strikes (reported Jun 21, 17:37 Jerusalem).
As The Zioneer reported on June 9, Trump had previously warned that if 'people are stupid,' the US would 'wipe out an entire infrastructure of a nation.' On June 8, Trump rebuked Israel over a Beirut strike and signaled a diplomatic deal with Tehran was imminent. On June 11, US officials said Trump had not abandoned diplomacy but his patience was wearing thin. The Monday remarks appear to narrow the gap between competing positions in his administration — some advocating a negotiated settlement, others a more aggressive military posture.
Trump did not detail the terms of a potential deal. The claim that the US is 'nearing a deal' remains unaccompanied by any concrete timeline or framework, and the threat to 'finish the job' leaves ambiguous what specific military action — if any — is being contemplated.
4 developments
- StrongTrump threatens to wipe out Iran's infrastructure, says US will take half its oil
- StrongTrump says Iran will halt fire on Israel for at least a week, warns of 'wipe out' if talks fail
- DevelopingTrump claims he can 'finish the job' in Iran in under a week
- DevelopingTrump, angered, says Iran is 'stalling' nuclear deal, threatens immediate attack
Source and signal
- Internal intake