US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his claim of halting eight wars, which included the military conflict between India and Pakistan last year, during the first year of his second term in office. The American leader stated that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told him that around 35 million people would have died in India's Operation Sindoor without US intervention for a truce.
"35 million people, said the Prime Minister of Pakistan, would have died if it were not for my involvement," NDTV quoted him as saying.
While talking about Iran, Trump mentioned the US operation there last year, called Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted the country's nuclear facilities.
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Trump on Iran's 'neuclear ambitions'
"After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program. Yet they continue, and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister nuclear ambitions," BBC quoted him as saying.
He added that Iran wants to make a deal to avoid more US strikes, but has not committed to never making a nuclear weapon. "My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy, but one thing is certain: I will never allow the world's number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon," BBC reported him as saying.
Trump did not reveal his thoughts on a possible military strike against Iran after weeks of the largest US military buildup in the Middle East in 20 years.
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He stated that his “preference” is to settle the standoff with Iran through diplomacy. However, he also made a subtle threat, saying he would “never” allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, reported the BBC.
After that, he changed the subject, leaving lawmakers in Congress, viewers at home, and people around the world wondering what he would do if the US-Iran talks collapsed.
