Washington, DC [US], March 17 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday defended recent US military actions against Iran, warning that Tehran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, and also claimed that American forces have significantly weakened the country's military capabilities.

Trump said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons was essential for global security and argued that the country would use such weapons immediately if it possessed them.

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"I want wars less than almost anybody... The leaders of Iran are violent and vicious people who killed 32,000 protesters over the last three weeks," Trump said.

He added, "If you believe that Iran should have a nuclear weapon, there's something wrong with you because they would use it within one hour or one day. They will use it and they will blow up the entire Middle East, not just Israel."

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The US President also claimed that American operations had severely degraded Iran's military strength over the past two weeks.

"We have decimated them in two weeks. They have no navy, no air force, no anti-aircraft weapons, and no leadership. Their leadership is gone. Then they set up a new leadership and that too is gone," Trump said.

According to Trump, the US actions were carried out not only for American interests but also for global security.

"We did a job for the whole world... We took the worst country in 50 years and maybe longer from the ideological standpoint, a country that wanted to blow up the world, a country that is sick," he said.

Trump reiterated that allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons would have catastrophic consequences.

"If you give Iran a nuclear weapon, at least a very substantial part of the world would be blown up, and it'll be used almost immediately," he said.

The US President further claimed that American forces had destroyed much of Iran's missile and drone capabilities and weakened its leadership structure.

"We have extinguished most of their missiles and drones... We have fully extinguished two layers of leadership and probably a third," Trump said.

Trump also referred to the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy transit route, suggesting that some countries remain heavily dependent on the waterway for energy supplies.

"We only have one thing to have a little choke point... and they (Iran) have used it very well for years, but it doesn't work. But I think this, if some of these countries that we've been good to for years, get 90 to 95 % of their energy from the Strait of Hormuz," he added.

The remarks come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following ongoing military operations and rising concerns about regional security and energy supply routes. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)