‘Will do what I have to do’: Trump says preventing Iranian nuclear weapon ‘supersedes’ depression risk

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said he will take necessary action if Iran fails to adhere to any agreement following the conclusion of the initial round of technical talks in Switzerland, stressing that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is more important than concerns over global economic fallout, including the risk of a worldwide depression.

Speaking during the signing ceremony of two Executive Orders on quantum technology at the White House Oval Office, Trump said enforcement measures would be taken if Iran did not comply with its commitments. “If Iran doesn’t live up to their agreement, or if they’re not behaving, I will do what I have to do,” Trump told reporters.

He added that continued cooperation from Tehran would ensure stability, saying, “As long as they respect us, we are not going to have any trouble.”

US President Trump said ‘I will do what I have to do’ if Iran does not stick to its agreement with Washington pic.twitter.com/oTDcE4Noek

— Reuters (@Reuters) June 22, 2026

Addressing concerns about the potential global economic impact of military action on Iran, Trump rejected the suggestion that such steps could trigger a depression. “Well, not the way I’m doing it. It’s not going to cause depression,” he said.

The US President further argued that nuclear proliferation posed a more severe threat than economic downturns. “If they don’t abide by — well, nuclear weapons supersede depression”, Trump said. “Depression is real bad… a nuclear weapon will cause depression much more quickly”.

Trump reiterated that military options remain on the table if Iran does not comply with any eventual agreement, underscoring his administration’s hard stance on preventing nuclear escalation.

His remarks come after he reiterated Vice President JD Vance’s assertion that Iran is prepared to accept extensive weapons inspections as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts following recent talks between the two sides in Switzerland under the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU).

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Iran would agree to stringent inspections aimed at ensuring transparency regarding its nuclear activities. “Everybody is fully aware that Iran will agree to have Major Weapons Inspections in order to ensure ‘Nuclear Honesty’ long into the future,” Trump wrote in his post.

Earlier, Vance described the latest round of US-Iran negotiations in Switzerland as productive and expressed optimism about the progress made during the discussions.

Speaking to reporters at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, Vance said the talks had laid the groundwork for a potential agreement between the two countries. “We laid a very good foundation for a successful final deal,” Vance said, adding that the negotiations had established mechanisms related to regional stability and Tehran’s nuclear oversight.

The Vice President also claimed that Iran had agreed to allow nuclear inspectors into the country, describing the move as a significant step toward ensuring that Tehran would not develop nuclear weapons.

However, Iran has pushed back against those claims. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran’s engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would continue under existing safeguards obligations and in accordance with decisions taken by Iran’s Parliament and the Supreme National Security Council.

Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament:

In the middle of the discussions, I learned that Trump had made threatening remarks regarding our president, the negotiating team, and possible attacks on our territory.

I told Vance: “We are here engaged in talks, and according to… pic.twitter.com/Z3KQ9bQuMc

— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) June 23, 2026

Speaking to Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, Baqaei said, “Iran’s interactions with the Agency, in accordance with Iran’s obligations under the Safeguards Agreements, will continue according to existing procedures and comply with the laws enacted by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) and the decisions of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).” (ANI)