WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump announced that any damage to ships, cargo, or anything related to them would be compensated using Iranian funds held by the United States.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump reaffirmed that the United States would not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, saying Tehran wants to reach an understanding with Washington but “is not ready yet.”
He said an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose a direct threat, stressing that preventing Tehran from obtaining one remains a top priority for his administration.
“If the United States does not act against Iran, no one else will,” Trump said, adding that the Iranians “want to do something diplomatically,” but are “not ready yet,” and that Iran is now “weaker than it was four months ago.”
Trump said the progress achieved by the United States was driven by “innovation, ambition, and determination,” adding that his administration is committed to preserving the country’s prosperity and global leadership.
Artificial Intelligence
On artificial intelligence, Trump said the United States is ahead of China, noting that his administration is accelerating the construction of data centers and expanding the necessary infrastructure to maintain that advantage.
He said technology companies will be allowed to build their own power generation facilities to meet growing electricity demand, adding that new data centers are being built across the country to support the sector’s expansion.
Trump noted that the AI industry will require more than double the current electricity supply, saying the existing power grid alone will not be sufficient to meet the sector’s needs.
He stressed that the United States is determined to maintain its global leadership in artificial intelligence, describing the race as one of the most important strategic challenges and saying, “Whoever wins this race will win overall.”
Trump also revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit the United States on Sept. 24, saying he intends to discuss artificial intelligence with him, as he did during his previous visit to Beijing.
He added that the United States will not accept being second in artificial intelligence, emphasizing that his administration is pursuing an “America First” approach to preserve leadership in the sector while also strengthening the country’s position in cryptocurrencies.
Trump said advances in artificial intelligence have helped attract massive investment to the United States, claiming total investment reached $19.2 trillion last year, compared with what he described as $1 trillion under the previous administration, adding that these investments created hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Reuters
