Trump signals possible fresh US strikes against Iran

Trump appeared to misspeak while discussing Iran, mistakenly referring to the country as the "Islamic Republic of Japan"

ANKARA: US President Donald Trump threatened fresh military strikes against Iran, saying the United States could launch another attack “tonight” while renewing his insistence that Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Speaking alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a news conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the United States had carried out heavy strikes against Iran the previous night and warned that additional military action remained possible.

Trump accused Iran of deception during nuclear talks, saying Tehran had repeatedly misled US negotiators.

He also criticized the nuclear agreement reached under former President Barack Obama, calling it a bad deal and repeating his longstanding claim that it provided Iran with significant financial benefits.

The US president said Washington’s objective remained preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, adding that he believed progress had been made toward that goal.

Trump also accused Iranian leaders of making contradictory public statements after negotiations, alleging they denied discussions that had taken place.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and denies seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump appeared to misspeak while discussing Iran, mistakenly referring to the country as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” during remarks on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.

Speaking alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump was describing what he said was an Iranian missile attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln when he referred to “the Islamic Republic of Japan” instead of Iran.

Video of the remarks quickly spread across social media, with users highlighting the apparent verbal slip.

The comments came amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with Trump also saying he was dissatisfied with Tehran’s actions and warning that the U.S. could carry out additional military strikes after attacks involving drones and missiles.