US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would prefer a deal with Iran rather than launching military action against the West Asian nation
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would prefer a deal with Iran rather than launching military action against the West Asian nation. However, he made it clear that Washington would not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons and that all options are still open.
The remarks from the American leader came during an event in Las Vegas. Trump insisted that the United States significantly weakened Iran through recent military action but remained open to diplomacy. “We are knocking the hell out of them. I would rather make a deal, because I do not want to kill people,” Trump said.
The US leader went on to compare actions in Iran to those in Venezuela, claiming Washington had benefited from both situations. He also insisted that a much larger military operation had been planned but was halted after Iran sought talks.
“We were set for the biggest attack since World War II, and they called me and said, ‘Please don’t do it. Let’s talk.’… We are talking. Let’s see what happens,” he said. Trump made it clear that Washington would ensure that Iran would never acquire nuclear weapons. “They respect us… No other president has done what should have been done a long time ago because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he averred.
Iran takes the diplomacy route
It is pertinent to note that Trump’s remarks on the matter came days after he delivered mixed messaging, with Trump alternating between threatening strikes on Iran and expressing confidence that an agreement could be reached “soon”.
Trump’s latest assertion came as Iran announced progress on a separate agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Wednesday that an agreement between the two nations is in the “final stage”.
He also noted that a joint statement would be issued if “certain parties” did not obstruct the process, in an apparent reference to the United States. Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also maintained that two countries were “on the verge of finalising” the agreement, with almost all issues resolved.
He maintained that the talks with Oman were strictly bilateral and denied reports that Iran was negotiating with Washington over the Strait of Hormuz.
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