US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran of fresh strikes if Tehran resumes rebuilding its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programmes, while issuing a blunt warning to Hamas to disarm or face severe consequences.
Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after talks at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump suggested Iran may be attempting to restore its weapons capabilities following a massive US strike in June, even if activity has shifted away from sites hit in the earlier attack.
Iran Rebuilding ‘Elsewhere’: Trump
“I’ve been reading that they’re building up weapons and other things, and if they are, they’re not using the sites we obliterated, but possibly different sites,” Trump told reporters during a press conference.
He added that Washington was closely tracking Tehran’s actions. “We know exactly where they’re going, what they’re doing, and I hope they’re not doing it because we don’t want to waste fuel on a B-2,” Trump said, referring to the bomber used in the previous strike. “It’s a 37-hour trip both ways. I don’t want to waste a lot of fuel.”
Trump, who has in recent months raised the prospect of a nuclear deal with Iran, said his discussions with Netanyahu focused on stabilising the fragile Gaza ceasefire he brokered, as well as Israeli concerns about Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran, which fought a 12-day war with Israel in June, said last week it had conducted missile exercises for the second time this month. Netanyahu has said Israel is not seeking a confrontation with Iran but is monitoring the reports and would raise Tehran’s activities with Trump.
Gaza Ceasefire And A Warning To Hamas
Trump said he wants to move to a second phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, reached in October after two years of fighting in Gaza. That next stage would involve the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in the Palestinian enclave.
Progress, however, remains elusive. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of serious breaches of the agreement, and neither side appears closer to accepting the more difficult steps outlined for the second phase. Hamas, which has refused to disarm, has been reasserting its control as Israeli troops remain entrenched in roughly half of the territory.
Israel has said it will resume military action if Hamas does not disarm peacefully. On Monday, Trump placed the blame squarely on the militant group, arguing Israel had upheld its commitments while Hamas had not.
“There will be hell to pay,” Trump warned when asked what he would do if Hamas continues to refuse to lay down its arms, echoing similar statements he has made at earlier points during the conflict.
