Trump says Iran ‘wants to make deal so badly’

Washington: US President Donald Trump said that Iran “wants to make a deal so badly” after recent American military strikes, while claiming Tehran’s military infrastructure had been largely destroyed and insisting the country would not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.

Speaking at the annual White House Congressional Picnic, Trump mixed campaign-style political remarks with updates on the economy, foreign policy and his administration’s legislative agenda, repeatedly returning to the issue of Iran and regional tensions.

“We’re gonna end that war very quickly,” Trump said. “They wanna make a deal so badly. They’re tired of this.”

The President said the United States acted because “they have nuclear on their mind and we’re not gonna let them have a nuclear weapon.”

“We’ve done a hell of a job and we’re, I think we’re gonna be finished with that very quickly and they won’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “Hopefully we’re gonna get it done in a very nice manner.”

Trump also claimed Iran’s military capability had been severely degraded.

“We wiped out their Navy. The Navy is gone. The Air Force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone,” he said. “All of their material that they use for warfare is gone.”

“I don’t wanna say their leaders are gone because it’s not very nice, but that happens to be true,” he added.

The remarks came during a festive gathering on the South Lawn attended by members of Congress, cabinet officials and their families. Trump used the occasion to celebrate what he described as strong economic indicators and legislative successes during his administration.

He said the stock market had reached “67 all-time highs” during his presidency and claimed inflation had fallen to 1.6 per cent before the latest conflict in the Middle East pushed up energy prices.

“America’s thriving, America’s winning, and America’s respected, perhaps like it has never been respected before,” Trump said.

Trump also highlighted his administration’s “Great Beautiful Bill”, which he said combined several major policy initiatives into a single legislative package. He promoted provisions including “no tax on tips”, “no tax on overtime”, and changes to estate taxes affecting farms and small businesses.

The President praised First Lady Melania Trump for helping push bipartisan legislation on foster care and child protection measures through Congress. Earlier in the evening, Melania Trump urged senators to pass the “Fostering the Future Act” after its approval in the House of Representatives.

Trump also announced plans for a major UFC event on the White House South Lawn, saying an arena for 4,000 to 5,000 spectators would be constructed while as many as 100,000 people could watch from surrounding grounds on giant screens.

The latest US-Iran tensions come amid renewed instability in the Middle East and continuing concerns in Washington and among US allies over Iran’s nuclear programme.

IANS