President Donald Trump said he would “wipe out” Iran’s nuclear program if Tehran continued its enrichment program. A day earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to assassinate the Iranian Supreme Leader. 

Trump made the threat to Iran while referencing a statement from the Iranian Foreign Minister that Tehran would continue its nuclear enrichment program. “Iran’s been sending out bad signals, I’ll tell you. For a country that just got wiped out, they’ve been sending very bad signals, very nasty signals. And they shouldn’t be doing that,” Trump said during a press conference in Scotland with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 

“We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we’ll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it.” He added, “We will do that gladly, openly and gladly.”

Trump’s remarks follow Defense Minister Katz’s threat to assassinate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “I want to send a clear message from here to dictator Khamenei: If you continue to threaten Israel, our long arm will reach Tehran again with even greater power – and this time personally to you too,” he said Sunday. 

Last month, Israel launched an unprovoked war on Iran. Trump authorized direct US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities during the conflict. The President claimed the war completely dismantled Iran’s nuclear program. 

However, assessments of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program suggest Tehran’s capabilities were only set back months or a few years. 

While Washington and Tel Aviv claimed the attack on Iran was necessary because Tehran was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, there is no evidence that Iran has decided to weaponize its civilian nuclear program. 

Israeli and American officials have argued that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program is proof of Tehran’s plan to build a nuclear bomb. Some countries, including Germany and Japan, possess enrichment programs but not nuclear weapons. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trump’s statement, saying Iran will “never respond to the language of threat and intimidation.”

Since the ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran near the end of June, Trump has warned that he will resume attacks on the Islamic Republic if Tehran does not agree to a new nuclear agreement. 

As Tehran has refused to negotiate under US threat, it believes the ceasefire will fall apart in the future. Last week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, “We do not rely on the current ceasefire, and we are not optimistic about it.” He added, “We are fully prepared for any new Israeli military provocation, and our armed forces are ready to strike deep inside Israel once again.”