Trump reiterates Iran must never obtain nuclear weapons

US President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, describing the country's leadership as "very violent, evil people."

"You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon," Trump told Fox News in an interview published Sunday.

He argued that Tehran would have used a nuclear weapon had it acquired one, claiming that the Middle East "would have essentially been gone" and that Israel would have been destroyed, with the US or Europe possibly becoming the next targets.

"If I weren't president, Israel would be gone. There would be no Israel. And there would probably be no Middle East," he added.

Trump also said the US is inflicting significant damage on Iran and praised what he described as an effective blockade on Iran.

"We are doing a great job. The blockade has been unbelievable ... we are hitting them very hard. Nobody has ever been hit like this," he said.

Trump called Iran a "failing nation" and said he was surprised when Tehran began targeting Gulf countries at the start of the war.

"Everybody was shocked. I was surprised," he said, adding that he believed the attacks caused Iran to lose support.

Trump also accused Democrats of wanting the US to lose its wars against Iran and Venezuela, adding that would not happen because the country is "absolutely winning easily."