In an interview with Fox News, Trump declared that he does not seek to be adversarial with Iran but insists that the country must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. He stated, "I’m not looking to be an enemy with Iran. I’d be happy to get along with them, but they cannot have nuclear weapons. You just can’t give them nuclear weapons. Let me put it plainly: if they get nuclear weapons, Israel will disappear."
Trump and other Republicans have criticized the Biden administration for being too lenient with Iran, allowing it to bypass U.S. economic sanctions. They argue that this leniency enabled Tehran to arm Hamas and facilitated the attack on October 7. Trump had previously withdrawn from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal, which restricted Iran’s nuclear program, calling it a "bad deal" that failed to address Iran’s ballistic missile program and its harmful activities in the Middle East.
When he signed the withdrawal order in May 2018, Trump reimposed sanctions on oil exports and international banking. During Trump’s tenure, Iran’s oil exports were limited to 300,000 barrels per day, significantly reducing its income needed for importing essential goods. Since Joe Biden took office, Iran's oil exports have steadily increased to about 1.5 million barrels per day, generating approximately $30 billion annually—far short of the $300 billion Trump claimed.
Reports indicate that the Iranian government is closely watching the U.S. presidential elections, particularly concerning a potential Trump victory. Iranians believe a Harris administration could be more favourable to Tehran, potentially leading to lax enforcement of sanctions.
Meanwhile, Iran has accelerated its nuclear program over the past three years, significantly enriching uranium. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have warned that Tehran could produce enough highly enriched uranium for a bomb within a few weeks.