Strong words from US President Donald Trump: Iran must not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon because the regime is “crazy.” Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News that aired on Friday.
The comments came amid stalled nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Trump described how the Iranian side repeatedly made commitments, only to withdraw them the next day.
“We really had the framework of a deal: Iran was supposed to give up its nuclear program and hand over the enriched uranium to us. And every time we had reached an agreement, the next day it was as if that conversation had never happened. That has happened about five times now. There is something wrong with them. They are actually crazy — and that is why they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
Despite that, Trump expressed confidence: “The Strait of Hormuz will be opened, they will not have a nuclear weapon, and the world will go on.”
.@POTUS on Iran: “We really had the confines of a deal; no nuclear, they were going to give us the dust…and every time they’d make a deal, the next day it’s like we didn’t have that conversation…they’re crazy, and you know what? Because of that, they cannot have a nuclear… pic.twitter.com/g2p20GiVai
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 15, 2026
Asked whether Washington had underestimated Iran’s “pain tolerance,” he replied: “I haven’t underestimated anything. We hit them incredibly hard.” He emphasized that the United States had deliberately spared infrastructure such as bridges and electricity supply, saying they could be completely destroyed “in two days.”
On the return flight from his visit to China aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was prepared to agree to a 20-year freeze on Iran’s nuclear program — but only under one condition: “The level of guarantees on their side has to be a real 20-year one.”
Trump reportedly rejected Iran’s counterproposal to end the conflict after the very first sentence. It was “an unacceptable sentence,” he told Fox News, without giving details.
WATCH IN FULL: President Donald J. Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One returning from his historic state visit to China pic.twitter.com/k5i2MDbu5B
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 15, 2026
Background: Tehran’s response came — and disappointed
The United States had been waiting for an Iranian response to its proposal: Tehran was to transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium abroad and refrain from uranium enrichment for an extended period.
When the response finally came, it contained no nuclear concessions, according to The Times of Israel. Instead, Iran first demanded a permanent ceasefire and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, offering to discuss the nuclear program only afterward. Trump called the response “total garbage” on Truth Social.
Iran’s 14-point paper, transmitted through Pakistani intermediaries, did show some movement: Tehran said it was prepared to discuss the nuclear program within 30 days and signaled willingness to send part of its uranium abroad, according to The New Arab. But the conditions — full sanctions relief, an end to the naval blockade, and guarantees against renewed attacks — went too far for Washington.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Congress only last week that Iran was “terrifyingly close” to enriching uranium to weapons-grade level — just “weeks” away. Trump had already made clear that the United States would prevail against Iran “peacefully or otherwise.”
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