U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 8th (local time) regarding the resumption of military strikes on Iran that “(based on an agreement by both sides) the likelihood that it would be necessary is very small,” CNN reported.
U.S. President Donald Trump. /Courtesy of Reuters
In a 20-minute phone interview that day, President Trump said, “It depends on whether they (Iran) sign a very strong agreement.” The “very strong agreement” he mentioned appears to mean Iran’s renunciation of possessing nuclear weapons and a guarantee of complete freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump’s remarks that day appear to tilt toward not resuming military strikes. However, more than eight months into the war, Iran still has not given up its nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz, making it uncertain whether such an agreement will be reached.
CNN reported that in the interview that day, President Trump repeated five times the remark that “the likelihood (of reattacking Iran) is very small.” Even so, President Trump said the U.S. military is ready to resume strikes, adding, “We have three aircraft carriers. Another one just arrived.” He added, “We are literally targeting 38 bridges that we can destroy within an hour.”
President Trump claimed Iran’s air-defense system has collapsed. He said, “The only thing they (Iran) can do is at about 10%—make a few missiles and a few drones,” adding, “Drones are at about 15% because most of the factories have been destroyed.”
Regarding strikes on Iran’s infrastructure, he said, “It would take more than 10 years to rebuild, so I don’t want to do that.” He also noted, “(Iran) is very eager for talks,” and said, “We probably won’t need to (resume military strikes).”
※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.