Trump Tells Iran They Need to Make a Nuke ‘Deal’ to Avoid Military Solution: ‘I’m Not Looking to Hurt Iran’
President Donald Trump told Maria Bartiromo that he wrote a letter Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, telling him to make a “deal” to avoid Trump turning to the military.
On Friday, Bartiromo teased a Sunday Morning Futures exclusive interview with the president in which they discussed the future of Iran. Trump said Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and if they do not come to the negotiating table then the military option is on the table.
“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” Trump said as Bartiromo noted reports have suggested Russia could be involved in helping put together a nuclear deal.
Check out the exchange below:
MARIA BARTIROMO: “There are reports now that Russia says it will help the United States negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran. What kind of deal with Iran do you want to do? You said they cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
DONALD TRUMP: “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal because I’m not looking to hurt Iran. They’re great people. I know so many Iranians from this country.”
BARTIROMO: “Well, not the leadership.”
TRUMP: “No, not the leadership. They’re very evil people, but the people of Iran are great people, but they’ve had a tough regime and they’d meet and they’d be shot in the street. I mean, it was a tough deal. But I would rather negotiate a deal. I’m not sure everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily. But the time is happening now, the time is coming up. Something’s going to happen one way or another. I hope that Iran — and I’ve written them a letter, saying I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them.”
BARTIROMO: “You wrote a letter to the Khomeni—”
TRUMP: “Yes.”
BARTIROMO: “When did you send the letter?”
TRUMP: “Yesterday.”
BARTIROMO: “And you say, ‘you better negotiate’ or ‘we want you to negotiate.'”
TRUMP: “I didn’t say ‘you better,’ I said I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran, and I think they want to get that letter. The other alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
Watch above via Fox News.
