Trump unfazed by possible Iran talks collapse, says stopping nuclear weapons is top priority

US President Donald Trump said that he was unconcerned about reports that Iran may halt negotiations with Washington arguing that Tehran had taken too long in the talks and insisting that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained his overriding objectiveIn a phone interview with CNBCs senior Washington correspondent Eamon Javers Trump dismissed suggestions that a breakdown in negotiations would significantly alter his approach even as oil markets reacted sharply to reports that Iran was unwilling to continue talksldquoI dont care if theyre over honestly I really dont care I couldnt care lessrdquo Trump said when asked whether negotiations with Iran had ended ldquoIf theyre over theyre over If theyre not you know I think they took too much timerdquo he added ldquoFrankly I thought they started to get very boringrdquoTrump accused Tehran of dragging out the process ldquoIt took too long I thought they were tapping us along thats allrdquo he said Asked directly whether Iran had been stalling for time Trump replied ldquoYeah I thought that yeah I didrdquoThe interview came as energy markets reacted to concerns that diplomacy could be faltering Javers noted that oil prices had risen more than 8 per cent on reports that Iran was no longer willing to negotiate Trump however brushed aside concerns over rising energy costsldquoNo I dont worry about that nordquo he said when asked whether he was concerned about oil prices The President argued that oil prices would soon decline citing large quantities of oil already moving through global marketsldquoI think the oil will be dropping like a rock in the very near distancerdquo Trump said ldquoYou have 1700 boats right now that are loaded up with oil and thats going to be like an oil gusherrdquoTrump also rejected suggestions that the Strait could remain disrupted saying maritime traffic was continuing despite tensions ldquoThe strait is already openrdquo he said ldquoMany boats have gone out of there over the last weekrdquoHe claimed Iran was paying a steep economic price because of the situation ldquoAs far as Im concerned they can continue to lose 500 million a day which is what they lose because of the blockaderdquo Trump saidThe President linked the diplomatic impasse to regional fighting involving Israel Asked whether he had discussed the issue with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Trump replied ldquoNo but Im going to ask him whats going on with LebanonrdquoTrump repeatedly returned to what he described as the central issue ldquoThe thing I care about most at this point in life is that Iran will not have a nuclear weaponrdquo he saidHe then issued a stark warning to Tehran saying ldquoAnd if they want to try and have a new nuclear weapon I will blow them up to kingdom comerdquoTrump said Americans should view any increase in fuel prices through the lens of preventing a nucleararmed IranldquoOnce you explain that this is all about Iran having a nuclear weapon people are willing to pay a little bit morerdquo he said adding that gasoline prices would fall once the crisis was resolvedThe President also suggested that European allies should assume a larger role in securing maritime routes arguing that Europe had a greater dependence on the regions energy supplies than the United StatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever