WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump said the United States could destroy critical Iranian infrastructure in just three days but claims he is holding back at the request of American allies in the Middle East, even as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled.
The president claimed he could bring the conflict to an immediate end but said regional allies have urged him to take a more restrained approach. (TNND)
In an interview with Stephen A. Smith, Trump described the military’s ability to cripple Iran’s bridges and manufacturing facilities.
In one day, their bridges are gone. And in one day, their manufacturing capability is gone. It would only take me three days. One day each,” Trump said.
The president claimed he could bring the conflict to an immediate end but said regional allies have urged him to take a more restrained approach.
“I could end it immediately, but at the request of the nations that I’m looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way,” Trump said.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Trump signaled Thursday that he sees little need for further negotiations with Tehran.
In a post on Truth Social, the president declared that the United States no longer needs a deal with Iran, writing, “Those days have long since passed.”
In the same post, Trump directed Vice President JD Vance to shift his attention away from Iran negotiations and toward domestic crime and fraud, raising questions about possible disagreements within the administration over its handling of the war.
The move follows sweeping Republican losses in last week’s midterm elections. Vance previously identified the Iran war as a major factor in the party’s defeat, highlighting growing political pressure on the White House.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, however, defended the administration’s strategy during an appearance on CNBC.
“What we are doing is working, and the IRGC, they’re like a dangerous, cornered animal,” Bessent said, referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Meanwhile, international concerns are mounting over Iran’s nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, is pressing Tehran to resume inspections of its nuclear facilities to determine the status of the country’s nuclear material. Iranian officials maintain that inspections cannot resume under current wartime conditions.
The uncertainty is also prompting high-level discussions between American and Israeli intelligence officials.
Axios reported that the director of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is visiting Washington for meetings with CIA Director John Ratcliffe about the conflict.
The talks come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly presses Trump to take a more aggressive approach toward Iran, underscoring the competing pressures facing the administration as the war continues with no diplomatic breakthrough in sight.