Will Be Iran's 'Best Friend' if It Renounces Nuclear Weapons, Says Donald Trump Amid Soaring Tension

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said he will impose additional sanctions against Iran in an effort to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, adding that military action was still a possibility.

Trump, who was speaking to reporters at the White House, made his comments after recently calling off military action against Iran to retaliate for the downing of a US military drone.

"We are putting additional sanctions on Iran," Trump said. "In some cases we are going slowly, but in other cases we are moving rapidly."

Trump said he would be Iran's "best friend" and that the Islamic republic could be a "wealthy" country if it renounced nuclear weapons.

"We're not going to have Iran have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters as he prepared to depart for Camp David for meetings on the situation with Iran. "When they agree to that, they're going to have a wealthy country. They're going to be so happy, and I'm going to be their best friend. I hope that happens. Let's make Iran great again."

Trump disclosed on Friday that he called off a US military strike on Iran at the last minute, saying it would be a disproportionate response to Thursday's downing of the unmanned US aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz.

"Everyone was saying I'm a war-monger, and now they say I'm a dove," Trump said on Saturday as he was peppered with questions about the Iran drama.

"I think I am neither, if you want to know the truth. I'm a man with common sense, and that's what we need in this country, is common sense."