Trump threatens renewed strikes on Iran over missile, nuclear concerns

US President Donald Trump on December 29 warned that the United States could carry out another strike against Iran if it attempts to rebuild its ballistic missile or nuclear capabilities, escalating already high tensions between Washington and Tehran.

“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them,” Trump said ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Caliber.Az reports via CNN.

Trump noted he would support an attack on Iran “immediately” if it seeks to redevelop its nuclear programme, urging Tehran instead to pursue diplomacy with Washington.

“That’s smarter,” Trump said. “They could have made a deal the last time before we went through, you know, a big attack on them.”

The US president further suggested that Iran may be attempting to rebuild its weapons capabilities at sites different from those targeted in the earlier US strikes, CNN writes.

“I hope Iran is not trying to build up, as I’ve been reading, that they’re building up weapons and other things,” he said. “If they are, they’re not using the sites that we obliterated, but they’re using possibly different sites.”

Standing alongside Netanyahu, Trump again cautioned Iran against reviving its ballistic missile programme and warned of severe consequences if it proceeds. While he said he does not believe Iran has sought to expand its nuclear capabilities, he added that he was concerned the country “may be behaving badly,” without providing further details.

“If they are, we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup,” Trump said. “We know exactly where they’re going, what they’re doing, and I hope they’re not doing it.”

Iran responded swiftly to the remarks. Ali Shamkhani, a top political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected the US warnings and emphasised Iran’s defence posture.

“Under Iran’s defence doctrine, responses are set before threats materialise. Iran’s ‌missile capability⁩ and defence are not containable or permission-based. Any aggression will face an immediate ‌harsh response⁩ beyond its planners’ imagination,” Shamkhani wrote on X.

Earlier this year, the US bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran, an operation Trump has repeatedly described as a major military success. In recent weeks, Netanyahu has warned that Iran is once again expanding its ballistic missile programme and is expected to argue during his visit to Washington that further action may soon be necessary.

By Sabina Mammadli