U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that it is “very unlikely” he would have to order the U.S. to return to war with Iran, provided there is progress in negotiations regarding Tehran’s nuclear program and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. He repeated this statement five times during a 20-minute phone interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto.
“It depends on whether they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump said, adding that Iran is “a failing state.” He claimed that its economy is “stagnating,” citing 301% inflation this year—a figure that has not been confirmed. He stated that he would return to war if necessary, since, as he put it, the U.S. has already hit Iran “very hard” and “could finish it off.”
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Eight months after the war began, the two sides are at an impasse, with limited military action and no substantial diplomatic progress, while tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz are coming under Iranian attack. The two countries and officials from Qatar, which is mediating the talks, have not provided any details on the progress of the negotiations. Hardliners in Iran are citing the results of last week’s U.S. midterm elections—which were partly influenced by voters’ dissatisfaction with the war— as a sign of a weakened presidency that would be more willing to yield to Iranian demands. Tehran is demanding to continue its nuclear program—which it says it needs for energy—and to maintain control of the Strait. At the same time, Iran is struggling to sell crude oil due to U.S. sanctions, while billions of dollars in Iranian assets held in foreign banks remain frozen.
Trump, who has previously sent mixed signals about whether he wants to end the war, made it clear that U.S. forces are ready for action. “I have three aircraft carriers here. The last one just arrived. They are fully armed and on standby,” he said. He also noted that infrastructure targets in Iran have been identified, including power plants and bridges, and that 38 bridges could be destroyed “within an hour.” He added, however, that he would prefer not to do so, because rebuilding them would take about ten years. “I don’t like tearing down bridges. The hardest thing to build is a bridge,” he said.
Diplomatic activity in the Middle East has intensified since Tuesday, election day. On Friday, Qatar announced that Trump had called the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss de-escalation. A day earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had spoken with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, and Qatar.
Trump also claimed that Iran’s air defense system has been destroyed. “There is no anti-aircraft defense; everything has been lost,” he said. According to him, the regime has only 10% of its missile capabilities and 15% of its drones remaining, because many of its factories have been destroyed. “It probably won’t be necessary,” he reiterated regarding the new military action. “They really want to reach an agreement.”
Source: ertnews.gr
