President Donald Trump issued a powerful warning to Iran on Thursday during a high-stakes breakfast with business leaders in Qatar, making it clear that Tehran must abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons—or face consequences unlike anything the world has seen before.

“I want them to succeed,” Trump told the group at the St. Regis Doha hotel. “I want them to end up being a great country, frankly, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon. That’s the only thing. It’s very simple.”

The comments come just days after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted that Iran would not dismantle its nuclear program under international pressure. Pezeshkian declared that Iran’s nuclear efforts were peaceful and non-negotiable, but Trump’s statement left little room for misinterpretation.

“There’s two steps,” Trump said. “There’s a very, very nice step, and there’s a violent step. There’s violence like people haven’t seen before, and I hope we’re not going to have to do this. I don’t want to do that step.”

While Trump hinted that Iran may be moving—at least informally—toward cooperation, he stressed that no final deal has been reached and that America’s patience is limited. His message was firm: peace is the preferred outcome, but strength will always back it up.

Trump’s tone was both diplomatic and forceful. He spoke of a desire to bring long-term peace to the region but made it unmistakably clear that the U.S. will not tolerate a nuclear Iran under any circumstance. His message drew strong support from congressional Republicans, many of whom are urging him to follow through on dismantling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure entirely.

In a recent letter, Republican lawmakers pressed Trump to stay the course on his hardline strategy, demanding that Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities be eliminated completely.

Trump, speaking directly to regional leaders in the Gulf, emphasized the importance of protecting U.S. allies near Iran. “We’re in very serious negotiations with Iran for long-term peace,” he said. “And if we do that, it’ll be fantastic. And for this country in particular, because you’re right next door.”

His comments served not only as a warning to Iran but as a reassurance to allies like Qatar, whose proximity to Iran places them on the front lines of any potential conflict. Trump praised Qatar’s royal family as “great people” and pledged that the United States would stand by them without hesitation.

With tensions simmering in the Middle East and Iran’s nuclear intentions still under scrutiny, Trump’s message marks a clear return to a doctrine of peace through strength—leaving no doubt that the U.S. is prepared to act decisively if necessary.

Conservatives are applauding Trump’s leadership, saying it represents a refreshing departure from the appeasement and indecision that defined previous administrations. As negotiations with Iran continue, one thing is certain: the United States will not be caught flat-footed under Trump’s watch.