Donald Trump says Israel would be the ‘leader’ in potential strike on Iran

US President Donald Trump says Israel would be the “leader” of a potential military strike against Iran if Tehran doesn’t give up its nuclear weapons program.

Trump made the comments on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s scheduled talks involving US and Iranian officials in the Middle East sultanate of Oman. Trump earlier this week said the talks would be “direct” while Iran has described the engagement as “indirect” talks with the United States.

“If it requires military, we’re going to have military,” Trump said.

“Israel will obviously be very much involved in that. They’ll be the leader of that. But nobody leads us, but we do what we want to do.”

The US is increasingly concerned as Tehran is closer than ever to a workable weapon. But Trump on Wednesday said he doesn’t have a definitive timeline for the talks to come to a resolution.

“When you start talks, you know, if they’re going along well or not,” he said.

“And I would say the conclusion would be what I think they’re not going along well. So that’s just a feeling.”

The US and other world powers in 2015 reached a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran’s enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. But Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the nuclear agreement in 2018, calling it the “worst deal ever”.

Iran and the US, under President Joe Biden, held indirect negotiations in Vienna in 2021 aimed at restoring the nuclear deal. But those talks, and others between Tehran and European nations, failed to reach any agreement.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department earlier on Wednesday issued new sanctions targeting Iran’s nuclear program.

Five entities and one person based in Iran are cited in the new sanctions for their support of Iran’s nuclear program. The designated groups include the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and subordinates Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, Thorium Power Company, Pars Reactors Construction and Development Company and Azarab Industries Co.

“I want Iran to be great,” Trump said.

“The only thing that they can’t have is a nuclear weapon. They understand that.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday again pledged that his nation is “not after a nuclear bomb” and even dangled the prospect of direct American investment in the Islamic Republic if the countries can reach a deal.

The comments by the reformist leader represent a departure from Iran’s stance after its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, in which Tehran sought to buy American planes but in effect barred US companies from coming into the country.

“His excellency has no opposition to investment by American investors in Iran,” Pezeshkian said in a speech in Tehran, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“American investors: Come and invest.”