Trump says Iran wants deal “so badly,” predicts a quick end to war while emphasizing that Iran will not be permitted to have a nuclear weapon.
By World Israel News Staff
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the war with Iran could end “very quickly,” portraying Tehran as weakened and eager for a deal while warning that the US would not tolerate any Iranian move toward a nuclear weapon.
Speaking at the White House congressional picnic, Trump said Iran’s leaders were under heavy pressure after months of US and Israeli strikes and the disruption of Iranian military capabilities.
“They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump said. “They’re tired of this, and we’re going to be finished with that very quickly. Hopefully, we’re going to get it done in a very nice manner.”
Trump tied any settlement to his long-standing red line on Iran’s nuclear program.
“We’ve done a hell of a job and I think we’re going to be finished with that very quickly and they won’t have a nuclear weapon, and hopefully we’re going to get it done in a very nice manner,” he said.
The comments came as the White House faces growing pressure at home over the war, now in its third month, and over high energy prices linked to reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices dipped Wednesday after Trump’s remarks raised hopes of a possible resolution, though analysts warned that Middle East supply disruptions remain severe and that any return to prewar flows would likely be gradual.
Trump credited the US military with destroying much of Iran’s conventional capability.
“Our military is the greatest in the world,” he said. “We wiped out their navy. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone. All of their material that they use for warfare is gone… I don’t want to say their leaders are gone, because it’s not very nice, but that happens to be true.”
Iran has rejected US claims that its military capabilities have been destroyed.
Tehran warned any renewed US strikes could lead to a wider war beyond the region, even as Iran has submitted a new peace proposal and some tanker movements through Hormuz have resumed on a limited basis.
Trump’s remarks followed his statement earlier in the week that he had held off on a planned attack on Iran while giving diplomacy more time.
But Trump also repeated on Tuesday that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
“We won’t be able to put up with that, and we’re not going to put up with it,” he said.
The president’s comments came just hours after the Senate advanced a war powers resolution aimed at limiting his ability to continue military operations against Iran without congressional authorization.
The measure passed a procedural vote 50-47 after four Republicans joined most Democrats, reflecting growing unease in Congress over the administration’s legal authority and strategy.
The resolution still faces major hurdles and an expected Trump veto if it passes both chambers. But Tuesday’s vote marked the first time opponents of the war succeeded in moving the measure forward after repeated failed attempts.
