President Trump warned Iran against reconstituting its nuclear program Monday as he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his home in Florida for wide-ranging talks. The warning comes after Trump has insisted that Tehran's nuclear capabilities were "completely and fully obliterated" by US strikes on key nuclear enrichment sites in June, the AP reports. But Israeli officials have been quoted in local media expressing concern about Iran rebuilding its supply of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel.
- "Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again," Trump told reporters soon after Netanyahu arrived at his Mar-a-Lago estate. "And if they are, we're going to have to knock them down. We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that's not happening."
At a news conference with Netanyahu after their meeting, Trump suggested that he could order another US strike. "If it's confirmed, they know the consequences, and the consequences will be very powerful, maybe more powerful than the last time," Trump said. Iran has insisted that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program. Trump criticized Iran anew for not making a deal to completely disarm its nuclear program ahead of the US and Israeli strikes earlier this year. "They wish they made that deal," Trump said.
- Gaza ceasefire. Trump, with Netanyahu by his side, said he wants to get to the second phase of the Gaza deal "as quickly as we can." "But there has to be a disarming of Hamas," Trump added. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that Trump championed has mostly held, but progress has slowed recently. Both sides accuse each other of violations, and divisions have emerged among the US, Israel, and Arab countries about the path forward. All but one of the 251 hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel have been released, alive or dead. The Israeli leader has signaled he is in no rush to move ahead with the next phase as long as the remains of Ran Gvili are still in Gaza. "They're waiting for their son to come home," Trump said of the family of the young police officer.
- Netanyahu pardon. Trump also renewed his call on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu, who is in the midst of a corruption trial, a pardon. Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand trial, after being charged with fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters. Trump has previously written to Herzog to urge a pardon and advocated for one during his October speech before the Knesset. He said Monday that Herzog has told him "it's on its way" without offering further details. "He's a wartime prime minister who's a hero. How do you not give a pardon?" Trump said.
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