- President Trump hinted on Wednesday that his friendly relationship with North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un may owe a lot to the country’s strong nuclear capabilities.
- Trump’s explanation sends a blunt message to Iran: If the country already had nuclear weapons, it may have had a paradoxically friendlier relationship with Trump—and been able to avoid an ongoing war that, which the Trump administration has justified on the basis of halting Iran’s nuclear development.
President Trump recently indicated that his rapport with North Korea's Kim Jong Un is significantly influenced by the latter's nuclear arsenal. Trump stated, "He has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. Should have never allowed it to happen," during a press interaction outside the White House.1
This assertion underscores a broader implication regarding Iran, suggesting that had Iran possessed nuclear weapons, it might have fostered a more amicable relationship with the Trump administration. Trump remarked, "If the country already had nuclear weapons, it may have had a paradoxically friendlier relationship with Trump", hinting that such a scenario could have potentially averted ongoing conflicts justified by the U.S. as necessary to halt Iran's nuclear ambitions.2
In contrast, Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, denied any knowledge of discussions between the two leaders, stating, "There has been no communication between the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. that we are aware of," as reported by South Korean media. She added, "I am not aware of it at all, and perhaps it may be the only thing I do not know as regards the foreign policy of our supreme leadership," while maintaining that the relationship remains "excellent."
“Trump's comments imply that Iran's lack of nuclear weapons has contributed to its adversarial relationship with his administration. He noted that a nuclear-armed Iran might have avoided ongoing conflicts justified by the U.S. to halt its nuclear development.”
Mother Jones
