US President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran against rebuilding its nuclear and missile capabilities and threatened Hamas with severe consequences if it fails to disarm in Gaza, as he projected unity with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid fragile ceasefire efforts.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said Washington would “eradicate” any attempt by Tehran to revive its nuclear programme or ballistic missile arsenal following US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.
Trump also dismissed reports of growing tensions with Netanyahu over the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, insisting Israel had met its obligations and placing responsibility squarely on Hamas.
“If they don’t disarm as they agreed to do, then there will be hell to pay for them,” Trump said. “They have to disarm in a fairly short period of time.”
Hamas’s armed wing reiterated earlier on Monday that it would not surrender its weapons.
Iran swiftly responded to Trump’s remarks. Ali Shamkhani, a senior political adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned that any aggression against Tehran would provoke an immediate response.
“Iran’s missile capability and defence are not containable or permission-based,” Shamkhani wrote on X. “Any aggression will face an immediate harsh response beyond its planners’ imagination.”
Netanyahu described his meeting with Trump as “very productive” and announced that Israel would confer its highest civilian honour on the US president — the first time the award has been given to a non-Israeli.
Trump, who has styled himself as a “president of peace,” said he was eager to move forward with the next phase of the Gaza truce, which would involve the establishment of a Palestinian technocratic administration and the deployment of an international stabilisation force.
While some US officials have privately expressed concern that Israel may be delaying progress, Trump said he had “very little difference” with Netanyahu and was “not concerned about anything that Israel’s doing.”
During their fifth meeting in the United States since Trump returned to office earlier this year, Netanyahu appeared to reinforce Israel’s focus on Iran, amid growing Israeli concerns that Tehran is rebuilding its missile capabilities after the 12-day conflict with Israel in June.
Trump said Iran “may be behaving badly” and was exploring new nuclear sites to replace those hit during the conflict.
“I hope they’re not trying to build up again, because if they are, we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup,” he said, adding that any US response “may be more powerful than the last time.”
Despite the warnings, Trump said he believed Tehran remained interested in negotiating with Washington over its nuclear and missile programmes — a claim Iran continues to deny, insisting it is not seeking nuclear weapons.
The talks also covered other regional flashpoints, including Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump said he hoped Netanyahu could establish a working relationship with Syria’s new president, a former Islamist rebel commander who overthrew Bashar al-Assad a year ago, despite continued Israeli strikes near the border.
Netanyahu’s visit capped several days of high-level diplomacy in Florida, following Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday to discuss ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Gaza ceasefire reached in October remains one of the most significant foreign policy achievements of Trump’s first year back in office, though progress toward a long-term settlement remains fragile.
While US officials have signalled hopes of announcing an interim Gaza administration and international force as early as January, Trump offered few specifics, saying only that he hoped reconstruction could begin soon in the devastated territory.
Hamas, however, remains defiant. “Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their weapons as long as the occupation remains,” the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a video statement.
