Donald Trump Expects Iran Inspections—Or Bombs Could Drop Again

President Donald Trump said at a press conference Friday that he expects Iran to cooperate with international inspectors to prove it is not restarting its nuclear program. In a separate remark, he warned that if Iran is still able to enrich weapons-grade nuclear material, he would “without question” order further bombing.

Last week, the U.S. military carried out airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz, in an operation the Trump administration called “Operation Midnight Hammer.” These strikes marked the first time the U.S. intervened directly in the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. The White House hailed the mission as having achieved the “total obliteration” of the Fordow site.

The strikes have sparked significant criticism, largely because the administration did not seek congressional approval beforehand. While Washington says it expects Tehran to return to nuclear negotiations, Iranian leaders have rejected pressure and hardened their stance—making it difficult to fully assess whether the strikes were effective.

One major concern is that Iran may have relocated enriched nuclear material before the attacks. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CNN his organization does not know where the material is now and confirmed that Iran has openly stated it safeguarded its stockpiles.

Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the uncertainty in an interview with ABC News, saying, “We’re going to work in the coming weeks to ensure that we do something with that fuel.”

During a rare appearance in the White House Briefing Room, Trump initially planned to discuss landmark Supreme Court rulings issued that morning but ended up fielding questions on a wide range of issues, from LGBTQ+ books to Iran’s nuclear program.

Asked whether he would require Iran to grant IAEA or other inspectors access to its facilities, Trump said Tehran would have to allow inspections by the agency or by “somebody that we respect, including ourselves.” He repeated that he would “without question” bomb Iran again if it were still able to enrich weapons-grade material, though he said it would be “unbelievable” if any capability remained after the recent strikes.

Trump also addressed remarks from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who issued his first statement since the U.S. strikes, claiming Iran had dealt “a slap to America’s face” with retaliatory attacks on a U.S. air base in Qatar. Khamenei downplayed the impact of the American airstrikes, saying the U.S. “could not achieve anything significant.”

The White House dismissed Khamenei’s comments, saying he was simply trying to “save face” and insisting that “any commonsense, open-minded person knows the truth about the precision strikes on Saturday night,” which officials described as “wildly successful.”

On Truth Social, Trump attacked Khamenei for “blatantly and foolishly” claiming victory, calling it a lie.

“Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them,” Trump warned.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, the president wrote:

“Why would the so-called ‘Supreme Leader,’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, of the war-torn country of Iran, say so blatantly and foolishly that he won the war with Israel when he knows his statement is a lie? As a man of great faith, he is not supposed to lie. His country was decimated, his three evil nuclear sites were obliterated, and I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered. I would not let Israel or the U.S. Armed Forces—by far the greatest and most powerful in the world—terminate his life.

I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH, and he doesn’t have to say, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP!’ In fact, in the final act of the war, I demanded that Israel bring back a very large group of planes that were heading directly to Tehran, looking for a big day—perhaps the final knockout! Tremendous damage would have ensued, and many Iranians would have been killed.

It was going to be the biggest attack of the war, by far. During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions and other measures that would have given Iran a much better chance at a full, fast, and complete recovery—the sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief and more. Iran has to get back into the World Order flow, or things will only get worse for them.

They are always so angry, hostile, and unhappy, and look at what it has gotten them—a burned-out, blown-up country with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy, and DEATH all around them. They have no hope, and it will only get worse! I wish the leadership of Iran would realize that you often get more with HONEY than you do with VINEGAR. PEACE!!!”

Whether talks between the U.S. and Iran will resume remains unclear, leaving open the question of whether inspectors will be allowed back into Iran—or whether the strikes truly eliminated its capacity to build nuclear weapons in the future.