Trump Says It’s Unclear If Iran Still Has a Nuclear Program

President Donald Trump speaks during the congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks during the congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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Trump Says It’s Unclear If Iran Still Has a Nuclear Program

President Donald Trump speaks during the congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks during the congressional picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview on Friday that it was unclear if Iran still has a nuclear program following Israeli strikes on the country. 

Trump told Reuters the US still has nuclear talks planned with Iran on Sunday but that he is not sure if they will still take place. He said it was not too late for Iran to make a deal. 

"I tried to save Iran humiliation and death," Trump said. 

He said he is not concerned about a regional war breaking out as a result of Israel's strikes. 

Earlier, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that he and his team had known about Israel's plans to attack Iran.  

The Wall Street Journal said that, when asked what kind of a heads-up the United States received before the attack, Trump said in a brief phone interview: "Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what's going on."   

Trump said he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and planned to speak with him again on Friday.    

Trump called the operation "a very successful attack, to put it mildly," the Wall Street Journal said.   

Also on Friday, he urged Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program, saying that there was still time for the country to prevent further conflict with Israel.    

"There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.    

Israel launched strikes against Iran on Friday, saying it had targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders during the start of an operation to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear weapon.    

Israel’s strikes come days before a sixth round of talks were planned between Iran and the US over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program this Sunday in Oman.   

Trump’s new administration has been seeking a deal that would halt Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.   

It wasn’t immediately clear how the strikes would affect plans for the talks. 



Taiwan Leader Expresses 'Strongest Condemnation' over China Drills

A ship fires a weapon during drills east of Taiwan, in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on December 29, 2025. Eastern Theater Command/Handout via REUTERS
A ship fires a weapon during drills east of Taiwan, in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on December 29, 2025. Eastern Theater Command/Handout via REUTERS
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Taiwan Leader Expresses 'Strongest Condemnation' over China Drills

A ship fires a weapon during drills east of Taiwan, in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on December 29, 2025. Eastern Theater Command/Handout via REUTERS
A ship fires a weapon during drills east of Taiwan, in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on December 29, 2025. Eastern Theater Command/Handout via REUTERS

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te on Tuesday expressed "strongest condemnation" as China kicked off a second day of live-fire drills around the self-ruled island.

"China is disregarding the international community's expectations for peace and is deliberately undermining regional stability through military intimidation. This is a blatant provocation against regional security and the international order, and I express my strongest condemnation," he said in a post on Facebook.


South Korea's President Lee to Visit China from January 4 to 7

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a press conference to mark his first 30 days in office at Yeongbingwan of Blue House on July 3, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a press conference to mark his first 30 days in office at Yeongbingwan of Blue House on July 3, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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South Korea's President Lee to Visit China from January 4 to 7

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a press conference to mark his first 30 days in office at Yeongbingwan of Blue House on July 3, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech during a press conference to mark his first 30 days in office at Yeongbingwan of Blue House on July 3, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will visit China from January 4 to 7 and meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the Blue House said on Tuesday, aiming to keep up ‌momentum to ‌restore ties, Reuters said.

Making ‌his ⁠first visit ‌to China since he took office in June, Lee will also discuss plans with Xi to reach concrete outcomes in areas such ⁠as supply chains, presidential spokesperson Kang ‌Yu-jung told a ‍briefing.

At ‍a summit of the ‍leaders when Xi visited South Korea recently on the first trip by a Chinese leader in 11 years, Lee sought his help in ⁠efforts to resume talks with North Korea, Lee's office has said.

In January, Lee will also visit the Chinese commercial hub of Shanghai and join events to build cooperation on start-ups, Kang added.


Trump Says US Hit Dock for Venezuela Drug Boats

US President Donald Trump, with pharmaceutical executives, delivers remarks on lowering the prices of drugs and pharmaceuticals during an announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 19 December 2025.  EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL
US President Donald Trump, with pharmaceutical executives, delivers remarks on lowering the prices of drugs and pharmaceuticals during an announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 19 December 2025. EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL
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Trump Says US Hit Dock for Venezuela Drug Boats

US President Donald Trump, with pharmaceutical executives, delivers remarks on lowering the prices of drugs and pharmaceuticals during an announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 19 December 2025.  EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL
US President Donald Trump, with pharmaceutical executives, delivers remarks on lowering the prices of drugs and pharmaceuticals during an announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 19 December 2025. EPA/WILL OLIVER / POOL

The United States hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuela drug boats, President Donald Trump said Monday, in what could amount to the first land strike of the military campaign against trafficking from Latin America.

The US leader's confirmation of the incident comes as he ramps up a pressure campaign against Venezuela's leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Trump of seeking regime change, said AFP.

"There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"So we hit all the boats and now we hit the area, it's the implementation area, that's where they implement. And that is no longer around."

Trump would not say if it was a military or CIA operation or where the strike occurred, noting only that it was "along the shore."

Sources familiar with the operation told CNN and the New York Times that the CIA had carried out a drone strike on a port facility.

The strike was believed to be targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, though no one was present at the time of the operation and there were no casualties, the US media outlets reported.

There has been no official comment from the Venezuelan government.

The Pentagon earlier referred questions to the White House. The White House did not respond to requests for comment from AFP.

Asked on Monday if he had spoken to Maduro recently, Trump said they had talked "pretty recently" but that "nothing much comes out of it."

Trump revealed details of the operation after being asked to elaborate on comments he made in a radio interview broadcast Friday that seemed to mention a land strike for the first time.

"They have a big plant or a big facility where they send, you know, where the ships come from," Trump told billionaire supporter John Catsimatidis on the WABC radio station in New York.

"Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard."

Trump did not say in the interview where the facility was located or give any other details.

Trump has been threatening for weeks that ground strikes on drug cartels in the region would start "soon," but this is the first apparent example.

US forces have also carried out numerous strikes in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug-smuggling boats.

The administration has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, however, prompting debate about the legality of these operations.

International law experts and rights groups say the strikes likely amount to extrajudicial killings, a charge that Washington denies.

After Trump spoke Monday, the US military announced on social media that it had carried out another strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two and bringing the total killed in the maritime campaign to at least 107.

It did not specify where exactly the strike took place.

The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure on Maduro, accusing the Venezuelan leader of running a drug cartel himself and imposing an oil tanker blockade.