Trump: We prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons

US President Donald Trump answered journalists’ questions on foreign policy and global security at the White House as he headed to an election rally in South Carolina.

“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that the US president addressed the ongoing military tensions with Iran, negotiations to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict and recent diplomatic contacts between Washington and Moscow.

Asked by reporters, “Do you regret starting a military confrontation with Iran?”, Donald Trump said his decision was entirely justified:

“No, I do not regret it at all. I think it was one of the most successful and strategic steps taken by our administration. We prevented Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and threatening global security. Previous administrations were reluctant to take this decisive step. If we had not intervened in time, Tehran would have acquired a nuclear arsenal and used it,” Trump said.

Assessing direct dialogue with the Russian Federation on freezing the Ukraine conflict and reaching a peace agreement, the US president said there had been significant progress in the negotiations:

“We are currently holding intensive talks with Russia on resolving the Ukraine crisis. For the first time after a long pause, the sides are this close to a final agreement. Some political circles are calling on the United States to impose new sanctions on Russia at such a sensitive stage. But imposing additional sanctions on the other side while active peace talks are under way is contrary to diplomatic logic,” the president added.

Trump also thanked Russia’s leadership, and President Vladimir Putin personally, for securing the release and return to the United States of US citizen Stephen Hubbard, who had been detained in Russia. He said the United States also appreciated the Russian Federation’s decision not to intervene directly in developments in the Middle East amid the US-Iran conflict and to maintain its neutrality.