Trump Says Would Consider Bombing Iran Again, Drops Sanctions Relief Plan

UNITED States (US) President, sharply criticised Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamanei, has dropped plans to lift sanctions on Iran, saying he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels.
Trump reacted sternly to Khamanei’s first remarks after a 12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the US launched bombing raids last weekend against Iranian nuclear sites.
Khamanei had said Iran “slapped America in the face” by launching an attack against a major US base in Qatar following the US bombing raids, insisting Iran would never surrender.
Trump said he had spared Khamanei’s life, with US officials telling Reuters on June 15, he had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader.
“His Country was decimated, his three evil Nuclear Sites were OBLITERATED, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces, by far the Greatest and Most Powerful in the World, terminate his life,” Trump said in a social media post.
“I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH,” he added.
Iran said a potential nuclear deal was conditional on the US ending its “disrespectful tone” toward its supreme leader.
“If President Trump is genuine about wanting a deal, he should put aside the disrespectful and unacceptable tone towards Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and stop hurting his millions of heartfelt followers,” Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, said in a post on X in the early hours of Saturday, June 28.
Trump also said that in recent days, he had been working on the possible removal of sanctions on Iran to give it a chance for a speedy recovery, but added that he had now abandoned that effort.
“I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,” he said.
The American leader said at a White House news conference that he did not rule out attacking Iran again, when asked about the possibility of new bombing of Iranian nuclear sites if deemed necessary at some point, insisting: “Sure, without question, absolutely.”
He said he would like inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog, or another respected source, to be able to inspect Iran’s nuclear sites after they were bombed last weekend.
Trump has rejected any suggestion that damage to the sites was not as profound as he has said.
The IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that ensuring the resumption of IAEA inspections was his top priority, as none had taken place since Israel began bombing on June 13.
However, Iran’s parliament approved moves on Wednesday to suspend such inspections, with Araqchi indicated on Friday that Tehran may reject any request by the head of the agency for visits to Iranian nuclear sites.