On Thursday, President Donald Trump mentioned that while he wouldn’t confirm an immediate attack by Israel on Iran, he cautioned that such an event “could happen.” This comes as the U.S. continues to apply pressure on Tehran regarding a nuclear deal while also making evacuation preparations from the Middle East. 

“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” Trump commented. “In straightforward terms, Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon.” 

“Other than that, I want them to be successful,” he continued. “We’ll help them be successful, will trade with them. We’ll do whatever is necessary.”

Trump said ultimately

The 35-nation Board of Governors of the IAEA declared on Thursday that Iran is violating its non-proliferation commitments, marking the first such breach in nearly two decades.

The board may next take the breach to the UN Security Council, which could then be prompted to enforce severe snapback sanctions on Tehran, which Western security experts have long been urging the UNSC to pursue.

Only three nations on the board objected to the breach declaration, including Russia, China and Burkina Faso, despite years of mounting evidence of man-made highly enriched uranium, and Tehran’s refusal to grant the IAEA full access to all its nuclear facilities, which is a violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPAO). 

Tehran is still bound to the international deal, though the agreement drastically unraveled after the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under the first Trump administration after it claimed Iran was already in breach of the terms. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who returned to the Hill today to testify in front of the House Armed Services Committee, told senators on Wednesday, “There are plenty of indications that [Iran has] been moving their way towards something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon.”

The secretary’s comments contradict assertions made by the Director of National Intelligence, who said in March that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.