IBNS-CMEDIA: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is in no hurry to set a deadline for ending the ongoing tensions with Iran, dismissing suggestions that he is under time pressure to secure a deal.
“Don’t rush me,” he told reporters when asked about a timeline for negotiations.
Drawing comparisons to past conflicts, Trump added, “We were in Vietnam for 18 years; in Iraq for many, many years. I don’t like to mention World War II because that was a big one, but even then, it lasted four and a half, almost five years.”
He maintained that Iran is interested in reaching an agreement but is currently facing internal instability.
“They want to make a deal. We’ve been speaking to them, but they don’t even know who is leading the country. They’re in turmoil, so we thought we’d give them some time to sort that out,” he said.
Rejecting claims of urgency, Trump remarked, “Every story says I’m under time pressure — no, Iran is under time pressure. If they don’t get their oil moving, their entire oil infrastructure could collapse.”
On the possibility of military escalation, Trump ruled out the use of nuclear weapons.
“No. Why would I use a nuclear weapon?” he said, calling the question “stupid” and asserting that the US has already “decimated” Iran without resorting to nuclear force.
In a related development, Trump also announced a three-week extension of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. The decision reportedly followed a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese representatives at the White House.
“They’ve agreed to an additional three weeks of no firing — a ceasefire. Let’s see how it holds,” he said.
