Trump's 'Israel would have been wiped out' remark

U.S. President Donald Trump made assessments regarding the recent tensions in Iran, Israel, and the Middle East in an interview with Fox News. Arguing that the economic pressure on Iran and the U.S. naval blockade have been effective, Trump reiterated his statement that "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."

Evaluating the process that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, Trump said that "everyone, including himself," was surprised by Tehran's retaliatory responses to countries in the Gulf region.

Trump suggested that Iran's attacks on regional countries indicate that if it possessed nuclear weapons, it would use them. Arguing that this would have devastating consequences for the Middle East and Israel, Trump claimed that Europe and the U.S. could also become subsequent targets.

In a striking statement regarding Israel, the U.S. President said, "If I weren't U.S. President, Israel would have been wiped out. Probably the Middle East wouldn't be there either."

Trump also argued that Iran is a "collapsing country," sending the message that the Washington administration's policy of pressure on Tehran will continue.