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President Donald Trump warned Iran during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida that the United States could carry out further military strikes if Iran tries to rebuild its nuclear program. Speaking to reporters at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump raised the prospect that any suspected activity might be occurring beyond the specific nuclear enrichment sites the U.S. targeted during strikes in June. The Associated Press reported that Trump’s warning came as the two leaders discussed both Iran-related deterrence and the status of a Gaza ceasefire.
Trump said he had previously insisted that Tehran’s nuclear capabilities were “completely and fully obliterated” by U.S. strikes on key nuclear enrichment sites in June. But with Netanyahu by his side, Trump told reporters he was hearing that Iran might be “trying to build up again” and that the U.S. would respond if that activity was confirmed. “And if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening,” Trump said.
Trump also suggested he could order another U.S. strike after their meeting with Netanyahu, adding that the consequences would be “very powerful, maybe more powerful than the last time.” The warning echoed a broader track of U.S. efforts aimed at Iran’s atomic program, even as Iran insisted to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations.
The AP report said Iran has insisted it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country. It also said an Iranian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s warning. The report further noted that Israeli officials have been quoted in local media expressing concern about Iran rebuilding its supply of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel.
Trump’s public comments on Iran came at the same time his administration was seeking momentum for the U.S.-brokered Israel-Hamas ceasefire. The AP reported that the Gaza deal is in danger of stalling before its complicated second phase, which would involve naming an international governing body and rebuilding devastated Palestinian territory. Trump said he wanted to reach the second phase “as quickly as we can,” but he added that there “has to be a disarming of Hamas.”
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which Trump championed, has mostly held but progress has slowed recently. According to the AP, both sides accuse each other of violations, while divisions have emerged among the U.S., Israel and Arab countries about the path forward. The truce’s first phase began in October, days after the two-year anniversary of the initial Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people, and all but one of the 251 hostages taken at the time have been released, alive or dead.
The AP report said Netanyahu has signaled he is in no rush to move to the next phase as long as the remains of Ran Gvili are still in Gaza. Gvili’s parents met Netanyahu, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Florida on Monday. Trump said of the family of the young police officer known affectionately as “Rani,” “They’re waiting for their son to come home.”
As described by the AP, the proposed second phase would require major planning changes, including rebuilding a demilitarized Gaza under international supervision by a group chaired by Trump and referred to as the Board of Peace. Under that plan, Palestinians would form a “technocratic, apolitical” committee to run daily affairs in Gaza under the board’s supervision. The report said the package also calls for normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world and could include a pathway to Palestinian independence, alongside difficult logistics and humanitarian questions such as disarming Hamas and creating a security apparatus called the International Stabilization Force.
The AP reported that much remains unsettled and cited an official briefed on the meetings as saying two main challenges have complicated progress toward the second phase. The report said Israeli officials have been taking time to vet and approve members of the Palestinian technocratic committee from a list given by mediators, while Israel continues its military strikes. It also said the International Stabilization Force, described as a multinational body, has yet to be formed, and a Western diplomat said there is a “huge gulf” between the U.S.-Israeli understanding of the force’s mandate and that of other regional and European governments.
Trump and Netanyahu also exchanged praise and addressed the pending release and legal situation involving Israel’s leadership. The AP reported that Netanyahu said Trump told him during their lunch that Israel’s education ministry would award Netanyahu the Israel Prize, breaking a long-held convention, and Netanyahu said, “President Trump has broken so many conventions to the surprise of people,” adding, “So we decided to break a convention too, or create a new one.” Trump also renewed his call on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon, and the AP reported that Herzog’s office said the two have not spoken since the request was submitted but that Herzog had spoken with a Trump representative about the letter and the stage of the process.