The Trump administration is asking Iran to either abandon its entire nuclear program or face consequences, national security adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday.
Waltz says it's time for Iran to “walk away completely” from its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and is seeking “complete dismantling” when it appears on CBS's “Face the Nation.”
“This isn't the kind of tut we had under the Obama administration or Biden,” Waltz said. “This is a complete program. You either give up on it or you'll have consequences.”
The Waltz did not identify the possible outcomes that Iran may face, but President Donald Trump said he has maintained “all options” including diplomacy.
Iranian leaders warn Trump will be able to receive a “severe slap” following the threat to the Houssis
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on Sunday that the Trump administration wanted an “complete dismantling” of Iran's nuclear weapons program or “results.” (John Nacion/Getty Images/file)
Waltz said the Trump administration hopes Iran will abandon its nuclear program “in a way the whole world can see.”
“if [Iran] If there were nuclear weapons, the whole Middle East would explode in the arms race,” he said. “That's not entirely acceptable to our national security. I won't go into what we were doing before or after, but Iran is in the worst place from its own national security since 1979.”
Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been high since Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel in the past few years. Iran exchanged fires directly with Israel twice last year.
If Iran did not negotiate a new agreement on a nuclear program, Trump threatened US military action.
Trump has proven Trump as explosive reports confirm Iran oversees “political and military issues.”
Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iranian diplomats, including Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut, have previously suggested that consultations are possible, but that he is not interested in discussing with the “bullying government.” Araguchi later strengthened his stance following Khamenei's lead.
Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reduced expectations about potential consultations with Washington. (Office of Iran's Supreme Leader via AP)
A 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama allowed Iran to enrich its uranium to a purity of up to 3.67% and maintain a 661 pound uranium stockpile. The International Atomic Energy Agency's final report on Iran's programme has put the stockpile in 18,286 pounds to concentrate a portion of it to 60% purity.
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The US Intelligence Agency rated Iran, which has not yet launched its weapons programme, “if it chooses to do so, it is carrying out activities that are better positioned to produce nuclear weapons.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
