Trump warns Iran could soon have a nuclear weapon, says US must act

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran is negotiating with his administration but is afraid to publicly acknowledge it, citing fears of retaliation from both Tehran and Washington.

Speaking at the National Republican Congressional Committee annual fundraising dinner in Washington, Trump said: “And I tell you, we're winning so big, nobody's ever seen anything like we're doing in the Middle East with Iran. And they are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people. They're also afraid they'll be killed by us.”

“There's never been a head of a country that wanted that job less than being the head of Iran. I don't want it. We'll listen to some of the things they say. We hear them very clearly. They say, I don't want it. We'd like to make you the next supreme leader. No, thank you. I don't want it," Trump added.

President Trump said at an NRCC dinner that Iran is negotiating and wants a deal badly, but fears being killed by their own people or by the US.

"They are negotiating by the way and they want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it because they figure they'll be killed by their own people. They're also afraid they'll be killed by us," Trump said.

Iran fired over 2,200 missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, more than at Israel and other Persian Gulf states combined, because it sees the country’s openness and prosperity as a threat, Lana Nusseibeh said on Wednesday.

“Over 60% of the attacks have been directed at the UAE. And that’s a fundamental question: why?” Nusseibeh told Fox News.

“We did not ask for a war in our region. We did not start a war,” she said, adding that Iran chose to fire missiles instead of negotiating with Washington over its nuclear and missile programs.

“They have resources across three continents, but for their own people, there is inflation, their currency is in free fall, and they have spates of killing protesters. This is a ruthless regime, and it is right to hold it to account," Nusseibeh added.

Russia is close to completing phased shipments of drones, medicine and food to Iran, according to Western intelligence reports, in what could mark Moscow’s first provision of lethal support to Tehran since the start of the war, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Senior Russian and Iranian officials began secretly discussing the delivery of drones days after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran, two officials briefed on the intelligence told the FT.

The shipments began in early March and are expected to be completed by the end of the month, the report said.

Russia, a close ally of Iran, has already provided support including satellite imagery, targeting data and intelligence assistance, according to people familiar with the matter.

The United States struck more than 10,000 military targets in Iran since launching its campaign last month, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said in a video post on X on Wednesday.

Providing an update on Operation Epic Fury, Admiral Cooper said the campaign has entered its fourth week with US forces maintaining air superiority and intensifying strikes across the country.

According to Cooper, 92% of Iran’s largest naval vessels have been destroyed, leaving the country unable to meaningfully challenge maritime security in the region.

He added that Iran’s missile and drone launch rates have fallen by more than 90%, significantly limiting its ability to target US forces and regional allies.

More than two-thirds of Iran’s missile, drone and naval production facilities and shipyards have also been damaged or destroyed, he said, curbing Tehran’s capacity to rebuild its military capabilities.

US forces have carried out over 10,000 combat flights during the campaign, including strikes by B-52 bombers deploying up to 70,000 pounds of munitions per mission.

Cooper said Iran’s combat capability continues to decline as US military strength increases, adding that operations are aimed at eliminating the country’s broader military manufacturing infrastructure.