Trump vows more strikes on Iran

Washington: US President Donald Trump said the United States would continue military action against Iran until Tehran is no longer able to threaten American forces or pursue a nuclear weapon, while expressing diminishing confidence that negotiations with the Iranian leadership would succeed.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the first live televised Cabinet meeting ever held at Camp David, Trump said the administration would maintain pressure on Iran despite ongoing diplomatic contacts.

“Well, we’ll be hitting — we’ll be hitting them very hard and, you know, at some point they’re going to say, we just can’t take it anymore,” Trump said when asked what to expect in the coming weeks.

He reiterated that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained Washington’s central objective.

“They cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said. “If they did, the Middle East would have been wiped out by now.”

The President said Iran had suffered extensive military losses but insisted it still retained limited capabilities.

“They have no navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft. Doesn’t mean they don’t have any capability. They have some, but very little,” he said.

Asked whether the United States had already escalated its campaign, Trump replied: “We’ve already gone big.”

“They had 159 ships. That was their entire Navy, 159. Their entire Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea. I’d say that’s going big. They had 200 airplanes, they’re all gone, every one of them.”

Despite ongoing contacts, Trump questioned Tehran’s credibility in negotiations.

“I guess you can. I mean, I’m losing faith in them because they do lie and do they do misrepresent,” he said when asked whether a diplomatic agreement remained possible.

He said negotiations had been undermined after Iran launched missiles while talks were under way.

“I got a call from Pete that they just shot five missiles at one of our bases in Jordan,” Trump said, adding that all five were intercepted by US forces.

Trump also linked the military campaign against Iran to progress on a proposed Hamas disarmament agreement.

“So we do have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy about it,” he said. “Nobody thought that would be possible, to disarm Hamas.”

He added: “That shows you how much success we’re having with Iran. Because if you go four months ago, five months ago, a deal like that would have been impossible.”

Asked whether Americans should expect further exchanges with Iran, Trump said some additional confrontation was likely.

“A little bit. They’ll get weaker. They’ll get a little stronger maybe now, but they’ll get weaker and then they Peter out,” he said. “You always have to keep your guard up.”

Trump said the administration was continuing discussions with Ukraine over possible transfers of advanced US weapons, including Patriot air defence systems and Tomahawk missiles, but stressed that such technology would be shared only with caution because of its strategic value.

Responding to another question on Russia’s war against Ukraine, Trump said both Moscow and Kyiv would eventually have to compromise to end the conflict.

“They’re both going to have to make some concessions,” he said. “Twenty-five thousand young, beautiful people, soldiers, mostly soldiers, are dying a month.”

The exchange came after Trump convened his Cabinet at the presidential retreat in Maryland for what the White House described as the first live televised Cabinet meeting ever held at Camp David. Cabinet members outlined the administration’s positions on the economy, defence, healthcare, foreign policy and domestic priorities before reporters questioned the President on Iran, the Middle East, Ukraine and other issues.

Trump has consistently argued that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon and has made economic sanctions, military pressure and diplomacy the three pillars of his Iran policy. His administration has also sought to expand regional security arrangements involving Israel while increasing pressure on Tehran’s military and financial networks.

–IANS