'US prevented Iran from having nuclear weapon'

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) said that stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons stands among his administration's most significant achievements.

Emphasising the decisiveness required to confront the threat, President Trump told the reporters that if his administration had not done it, Iran would have "already used" the nuclear weapons.

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"I think it's one of the greatest things that we've done - we've stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon. It's one of the best things that we've done. It took a lot of courage to do it because no other President was willing to do it - and if we didn't do it, Iran would right now have already used massive nuclear weapons," he said.

His remarks come a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that Washington's long-standing dispute over Tehran's nuclear program is merely an "excuse", asserting that the Islamic Republic honoured the conditions of the previous international agreements, only to watch the US "abandon" it unreasonably.

In an interview with Iraq's Al-Ikhbariya network, Araghchi stated that Washington's ultimate opposition lies in Iran's refusal to accept American hegemony in the Middle East.

"The nuclear issue is an excuse; what the Americans oppose and do not accept is Iranian ideology. They completely reject the Iranian perspective, which emphasises confronting American dominance and not surrendering to its power. This is the same thinking that has led to the formation and emergence of the resistance in our region," Araghchi said, according to the remarks carried by IRIB.

Addressing Washington's history of diplomatic compliance, Araghchi pointed out that Tehran had previously fulfilled international agreements, only for the United States to unilaterally walk away without justification.

"We reached an agreement with the world on the nuclear issue and the whole world welcomed that agreement; but the American side withdrew from it without providing any evidence and abandoned the agreement," Araghchi remarked. "The same thing happened again in Islamabad."

Despite ongoing diplomatic friction and military posturing, Araghchi emphasised that Washington understands the severe costs of initiating a direct military conflict, citing Iran's defence preparation as the primary deterrent against American aggression.

"Americans know very well that they cannot achieve any of their goals through war," Araghchi warned. "In my opinion, the main deterrent against the US starting a new war is precisely this complete readiness of Iran."

The developments come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over the implementation of the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June, which was aimed at ending the hostilities between the two sides and opening the pathway for further negotiations, particularly on Iran's nuclear programme.

Its collapse renewed the conflict in West Asia, with the US striking Iranian military and civilian assets, and the Islamic Republic also targeting American bases across the Gulf in retaliatory strikes.