Could Iran’s nuclear ambitions harden as war escalates?
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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has said he launched the war with Iran in part to prevent it from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. But as the war stretches into its seventh month, the Islamic Republic’s own case for weaponization may be growing.
“We are fighting now because there is a certain country that wanted nuclear weapons,” Trump said at a 9/11 memorial event on Tuesday. “They were very close to obtaining it, and now they have no chance of obtaining it.”
A preliminary deal struck in June paved the way for negotiations on curbing Iran’s nuclear program, but it quickly fell apart, and both sides have resumed tit-for-tat strikes. Along with US military strikes, the Trump administration is squeezing Iran with a naval blockade and sanctions targeting the country’s oil exports and financial lifelines.
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