Trump threatens to 'knock the hell' out of Iran if they build weapons

President Donald Trump connected Monday appeared unfastened to further subject enactment against Iran if the state attempts to physique up its reserves of ballistic weapons and reestablish its atomic program. However, helium urged the state to negotiate.

"Now, I perceive that Iran is trying to physique up again, and if they are we're going to person to sound them down. We'll sound them down. We'll sound the hellhole retired of them. But hopefully that's not happening," Trump said, lasting beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I heard Iran wants to marque a deal. If they privation to marque a woody that's overmuch smarter," the president continued.

Trump gaggled with reporters astatine his Mar-a-Lago edifice successful Florida up of a gathering determination with Netanyahu, which comes astatine a fraught clip for the Middle East and amid heightened tensions betwixt Israel and Iran.

NBC News reported earlier this period that Netanyahu and Israeli officials were becoming much acrophobic that Iran was attempting to ramp up its ballistic rocket accumulation — which had been damaged earlier this twelvemonth by Israeli strikes — and reconstitute the atomic enrichment sites the U.S. bombed successful June.

"If they volition proceed with the missiles, yes. The nuclear, fast," Trump said erstwhile asked if helium would enactment Israeli strikes connected Iran. "One volition beryllium yes, absolutely, and the different we volition bash it immediately."

Gaza was besides expected to beryllium discussed by the 2 satellite leaders connected Monday, Trump said, arsenic the White House seeks to beforehand a ceasefire statement betwixt Israel and Hamas.

The archetypal signifier of the statement took effect successful October and has mostly held. But a 2nd signifier — which would telephone connected Hamas to disarm and necessitate Israeli subject forces to retreat — has proven much challenging.

Netanyahu has said the 2nd signifier cannot statesman until Hamas returns the remains of the last deceased Israeli hostage. Trump said connected Monday that helium hopes to proceed to the 2nd signifier "as rapidly arsenic we can. But determination has to beryllium a disarmament... we person to disarm with Hamas."

Foreign argumentation has dominated Trump's docket of late.

On Sunday, helium hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy astatine Mar-a-Lago. The Trump medication is facilitating negotiations betwixt Ukraine and Russia to effort to bring an extremity to the multiyear struggle betwixt the 2 nations. During the meeting, Zelenskyy reportedly had asked the U.S. for information guarantees for up to 50 years for Ukraine, though the existent 20-point bid program outlined guarantees for 15 years.

Trump besides said helium had a "very productive" telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Monday, though helium said a fewer "thorny issues" basal successful the mode of ending the war.

"We person a mates of issues that we're going to get resolved, hopefully, and if we get it resolved, you're going to person peace," Trump said.

In the short, wide-ranging property league connected Monday, Trump offered updates connected his monthslong unit run against Venezuela.

The president confirmed a U.S. onslaught connected a cause loading installation successful Venezuela, marking an escalation successful his run against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"There was a large detonation successful the dock country wherever they load the boats up with drugs... So we deed each the boats, and present we deed the area. It's the implementation country that's wherever they implement, and that is nary longer around," Trump said.

Trump has precocious designated the authorities a "foreign violent organization," ordered a implicit blockade connected sanctioned lipid tankers moving successful and retired of the state and has been targeting alleged Venezuelan cause boats.