President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that Iran’s nuclear program must be destroyed, either as part of a new agreement with the U.S., or as the result of American strikes.

The president made the comments during a telephone interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who asked Trump whether the administration has issued an ultimatum to Iran, demanding Tehran either surrender its uranium stockpile and centrifuges or “get bombed.”

“It is that simple,” said Trump in response. “It’s very simple. And I’d much rather make a deal, a really verified deal with total verification.”

“We can do that very, very solidly.”

“I would much prefer a strong, verified deal where we actually blow them up or just de-nuke them,” he said, in an apparent reference to Iran’s nuclear centrifuges.

“There are only two alternatives there, blow them up nicely or blow them up viciously,” Trump stated. “You got to get them out.”

Trump’s comments in the interview appeared to contradict his remarks to reporters earlier on Wednesday, in which the president signaled that he had not decided whether Iran should be allowed to maintain a small nuclear enrichment program for civilian purposes.


“We haven’t made that decision yet,” Trump said. “We will.”

On Sunday, Trump also said his administration is pushing for Iran’s “total disarmament” in terms of its nuclear program, while also indicating he may be open to permitting Tehran to retain a scaled-down program for civilian purposes.

Delegations headed by Iran’s foreign minister and Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, have met three times in Oman for indirect negotiations on a new nuclear deal, with a fourth round of talks scheduled for this coming Saturday.

Iran has said it will not countenance dismantling its nuclear program or surrendering its enriched uranium stockpile, even as part of a new agreement.

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