US can leave Iran 'pretty quickly' and return if needed, Trump tells Reuters

WASHINGTON - The United States will be "out of Iran pretty quickly" and could return for "spot hits" if needed, President Donald Trump told Reuters on Wednesday, hours before he was scheduled to make a primetime address to the nation.

With the war in its fifth week and Trump under pressure for an off-ramp amid rising gasoline prices, the president scheduled a 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT) speech to discuss the way forward. His address will bookend a day that begins with Trump making a historic visit to the Supreme Court.

Trump, in a phone interview with Reuters, said one element of his speech would be to express his disgust with NATO for what he considers the alliance's lack of support for U.S. objectives in Iran. He said he is "absolutely" considering an attempt to withdraw the United States from NATO, a treaty organization ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1949.

"They haven't been friends when we needed them," Trump said. "We've never asked them for much ... it's a one-way street."

Asked when the United States would consider the Iran war over, Trump said: "I can't tell you exactly .... we're going to be out pretty quickly."

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

He said U.S. action has ensured Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.

"They won't have a nuclear weapon because they are incapable of that now, and then I'll leave, and I'll take everybody with me, and if we have to we'll come back to do spot hits," Trump said.

Iran has long denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon and says its nuclear program is peaceful.

"They won't have a nuclear weapon because they are incapable of that now, and then I'll leave, and I'll take everybody with me, and if we have to we'll come back to do spot hits," Trump said.

Trump also expressed his hope for a deal with the new leaders in Iran after airstrikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

"We have had full regime change," he said. "I'm dealing with a very good chance that we'll make a deal because they don't want to be blasted anymore."

"I didn't need regime change, but we got it because of the casualties of war. We got it. So we have regime change and the big thing we have is they're not going to have a nuclear weapon," said Trump, adding: "Nor do they want one."

As for the enriched uranium still possessed by Iran, Trump said: "That's so far underground, I don't care about that."

"We'll always be watching it by satellite," he said.

-Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Katharine Jackson and Steve Holland, editing by Michelle Nichols/Reuters