Iran government is a cancer that must be cut out early, Trump says
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the Iranian government was a “cancer” that had to be cut out early, adding that US forces hit Iranian targets “very hard” overnight.
“These are evil, sick people. And we have to rid of that cancer… You got to cut out cancer early,” he said alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a NATO summit in Ankara.
Trump said Iran had fired missiles at ships instead of focusing on funeral ceremonies for its slain leader and said the US response was “20 times tougher.”
Trump said Iran could not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and said Tehran had been “trouble” for 47 years.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's over," Trump told reporters in Ankara before a NATO summit.
"I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum... they're sick people, they're led by sick people, and they're vicious, violent people."
Trump said he would allow US negotiators to continue talks if they wished but signaled he no longer believed diplomacy would succeed.
"They want to negotiate. They're good people... but they have to come back to me," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them, they're liars."
Last month, Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding setting out a framework to end the conflict, including steps toward a ceasefire and renewed talks over Iran's nuclear program.
Trump defends overnight strikes
Trump defended US strikes carried out overnight, saying they came after Iran launched missiles at ships a day earlier.
"We hit them very hard last night, very hard," he said. "I told them every time you hit, we hit."
He said Iran targeted commercial shipping after Washington had allowed time for funeral ceremonies for supreme leader Ali Khamenei following earlier fighting.
"We said, 'Go and do your funeral stuff,' and instead of that they start shooting rockets at ships yesterday."
'We're going to denuke it'
Trump repeated that Iran could never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
"They can't have a nuclear weapon," he said. "We're going to denuke it. We're not going to let them."
He said Iran killed US troops through proxy attacks and blamed former Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani for supplying roadside bombs that killed American soldiers.
"They've killed thousands and thousands of our soldiers," Trump said. "They've killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people."
Trump also said Iran had sought to kill him.
"I saw things this morning. I'm on every single one of their lists," he said. "So far I guess I've been lucky."
He described Iran's leaders as "evil, sick people" and compared the country to "cancer."
"You've got to cut out cancer early."
'They killed 54,000 people'
Trump also said Iran's authorities killed thousands of protesters during anti-establishment demonstrations.
"They killed 54,000 people as of now that were protesting," he said.
"When people say, 'How come they haven't taken over?' They can't take over because they're dead."
He also added that Iran repeatedly breaks agreements.
"We make a deal... everyone's agreed, no nuclear weapon... they go outside, talk to the press, they say we never even talked about it," Trump said.
"There's something wrong with them. They're cuckoo."
Criticizes NATO allies
Trump also renewed criticism of NATO, saying several allies refused to support the United States during the conflict with Iran.
He said Britain, Germany and France declined requests to assist Washington during the fighting.
"They said, 'We don't want to help you now, but we'll help you when the war is over,'" Trump said.
He said the United States had been "treated unfairly" by NATO and paid "billions and billions of dollars too much" for the alliance's defense.
Trump also repeated criticism of Spain, calling it "a terrible partner in NATO" and saying he wanted to end US trade with the country.
The remarks came after the United States carried out a new wave of strikes on military targets in Iran in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran later launched missile and drone attacks on US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, further eroding the memorandum signed earlier this week to halt the fighting.
