Iran map / Envato Market

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump said Monday that he would support Israeli military action to prevent Iran from rebuilding its missile arsenal and warned that the United States would act “immediately” if Tehran attempts to revive its nuclear program.

Speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, the president delivered some of his strongest public remarks yet on Iran since returning to office. Trump said continued Iranian efforts to rebuild ballistic missile capabilities would justify Israeli strikes, while any move to restart nuclear enrichment would prompt direct U.S. intervention.

“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that is not happening.”

Trump also said he believed Iran should pursue negotiations rather than escalation. “I heard Iran wants to make a deal. If they want to make a deal, that’s much smarter,” he added.

Support for Netanyahu and Pardon Push

During the appearance, Trump reiterated his support for Netanyahu amid the Israeli leader’s ongoing corruption trial, calling him a “wartime prime minister” and a “hero.” Trump said he has formally requested a pardon from Israeli President Isaac Herzog, adding that Herzog told him the matter was “on its way.”

Herzog’s office later said that any decision would follow established legal procedures and confirmed that no direct discussion between the two presidents has taken place since Trump sent the request.

Iran, Gaza, and Regional Tensions

Netanyahu arrived in Florida as Washington seeks to move forward with the next phase of a U.S.-brokered Gaza cease-fire while tensions with Iran and its regional proxies continue to mount. Israeli officials and independent analysts say Iran has been attempting to reconstitute ballistic missile production facilities damaged during a brief but intense conflict earlier this year.

Israeli security officials argue that striking Iran’s rebuilding efforts now could prevent Tehran from restoring air defenses weakened in previous attacks. Analysts say Israel is also weighing limited military options against Hezbollah in Lebanon if demilitarization efforts stall.

On Gaza, Trump said he hopes to advance to the next phase of the cease-fire agreement “as quickly as we can,” but stressed that Hamas must be disarmed. Netanyahu has insisted that the next phase cannot begin until Hamas returns the remains of the final deceased Israeli hostage.

Under the first phase of the agreement, which began in October, Israel withdrew some forces from Gaza while Hamas released living hostages and returned the bodies of others. The second phase would require Hamas to relinquish governing authority and weapons, transferring security responsibilities to an international stabilization force overseen by a U.S.-led framework.

Diplomatic Balancing Act

Despite occasional friction, Trump and Netanyahu appeared aligned publicly during Monday’s meeting. Trump acknowledged that disagreements exist but described the relationship as strong, saying, “I don’t think it can be better.”

Netanyahu earlier met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and with the parents of the last remaining deceased Israeli hostage in Gaza, reaffirming Israel’s commitment to recovering all hostages.

The meeting comes amid a broader foreign policy push by Trump, who has recently hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and held calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin as his administration seeks to resolve multiple global conflicts.

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