A screen shot taken from a video released by the White House shows U.S. President Donald Trump meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, the United States, Dec. 29, 2025. (Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to attack Iran again if Tehran attempts to rearm.

"Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we're going to have to knock them down," Trump told reporters while welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida.

"We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them," adding that making a "deal" is "much smarter" for Iran.

Earlier this month, NBC News reported that during their Monday talks, Netanyahu would seek to convince Trump that "Iran's expansion of its ballistic missile program poses a threat that could necessitate swift action."

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said last week that Iran's missile program has been developed to defend the country's sovereignty and is "non-negotiable."

On June 13, Israel launched surprise airstrikes on several areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. On June 22, U.S. forces bombed the three Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan. ■