‘Had to cut out the cancer’: US President Donald Trump says ‘cancer’ was Iran with nuclear weapon

WASHINGTON: Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, US President Donald Trump said that the military action against Iran was necessary to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, highlighting the threat as a “cancer” that had to be “cut out”.

Trump, while delivering remarks at the NRCC Annual Fundraising Dinner, said previous US administrations had avoided taking decisive action for “47 years”. “When I went on to do something that for 47 years should have been done by any of the other Presidents, and you heard numerous of them said they wished they did it, but they didn’t have the guts to do it. We had no choice, but I thought it would be much worse,” he said.

He added, ” In the short term, what we had to do was get rid of the cancer. We had to cut out the cancer. The cancer was Iran with a nuclear weapon. We have cut it out. Now we are going to finish it off.”

President Trump claimed that Iran wanted “to make a deal so badly” during his remarks at the NRCC fundraising dinner at Union Station in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it,” he… pic.twitter.com/mQefCBZse7

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2026

Trump also claimed that a large-scale Iranian missile attack had been intercepted by US defence systems. “You know we had an attack, 100 missiles were shot by Iran at a very important thing that we had. I won’t tell you what it was for certain reasons,” he said.

“One hundred missiles going 2,000 miles an hour were coming at this element of importance, tremendous power and importance. And of the 100 missiles coming at us, 100 missiles were immediately shot down, shot out of the air, and fell into the sea. Not one missile got through,” Trump said.

He credited the interception to the Patriot missile defence system. “That was the Patriot system, it’s great. We have the best equipment in the world, we have the best military, the most powerful, most lethal military,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to the latest updates by Press TV, quoting a New York Times report, multiple Iranian strikes on US bases were mentioned.

According to the report, “US bases in Kuwait–located near Iran–appear to have taken the heaviest hit,” while it also reported the death of six US soldiers in an attack on the Shuaiba area, claiming that the Army’s tactical operations centre was destroyed.

Press TV, quoting the report, said, ” In an attack on the port of Shuaiba, the Army’s tactical operations center was destroyed, killing six US soldiers.”

Press TV also quoted, “Iranian drones and missiles also struck Ali Al Salem Air Base, damaging aircraft hangars”. Press TV also said, while quoting the report, “At Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Iranian missiles and drones damaged communications equipment and several refueling aircraft.”

Trump also referred to an operation targeting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, claiming US forces apprehended him earlier this year. “Earlier this year, in a stunning display of American military strength and skill, we apprehended an outlaw from Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, and brought him to face American justice,” Trump said.

“He’s been killing people for a long period of time with drugs and everything else… We went in, and we got him out of his house. His house was located in a military base with thousands of soldiers, and we went in so violently that everybody said, we will pass. Then they came back and waved goodbye as he flew out in a helicopter,” he added.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi said the country will continue to follow the policy of “resistance” in response to “unprovoked American-Israeli aggression”, ruling out negotiations or a ceasefire without reliable guarantees, according to Iranian State Media Press TV.

Speaking in a televised interview on Wednesday, Araghchi said, “At present, our policy is to continue resistance, and no negotiations have taken place”. “There are no negotiations under way,” he reiterated as quoted by Press TV elsewhere in his remarks, while also questioning the reliability of external assurances. (ANI)