On his last day at the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump emphasized his desire to make a deal with Iran, but under very specific conditions: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. 

Trump called on the leaders of the council to bring accountability to Tehran by enforcing the sanctions his administration has placed on Iranian oil. He also said that he wants to make a deal with Iran, but to do that, the council leaders must cooperate on several geopolitical matters that focus on stopping “aggression” from “bad actors.”

Recommended Stories

• Bessent show: Treasury secretary taking over as top dog on Trump's trade team
• Menendez brothers resentenced to 50 years to life with the possibility of parole
• Newsom to roll out revised budget that is at least $10 billion in the red

“The whole world is watching the Middle East, and many are watching with envy,” Trump said. “You have something very special going on. Incredible opportunities are within reach for this region, if we can simply stop the aggression from a small group of pretty bad actors.”

Earlier in his trip, the president expressed optimism over peacefully coexisting with Iran. However, he did emphasize that no acts of aggression or terrorist threats would be tolerated. He also stressed a willingness to let bygones be bygones and start anew.

“I’m here today not merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran’s leaders, but to offer them a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future,” Trump said. “As I’ve shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be very profound, which obviously they are, in the case of Iran, I have never believed in having permanent enemies.”

He echoed these sentiments on Wednesday morning. He expressed hope toward being able to make a deal with Iran, but once again emphasized that they “cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

“I want to make a deal with Iran,” said the president. “I want to do something if it’s possible, but for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”