President Donald Trump said Monday evening that Iran is only negotiating because it is in a bad state, and that the US and Israel hold 'fairly close' positions on Iran. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump also said there are 'some disagreements' with Prime Minister Netanyahu but the situation is good, and that if no deal is reached, the US will return to fighting, according to i24NEWS reporter Barak Betesh.
President Donald Trump on Monday evening offered additional details on the US-Iran diplomatic track, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that Tehran is only at the negotiating table because it is in a weak position. According to i24NEWS reporter Barak Betesh, Trump said the United States has 'a lot of ammunition, many types,' and that the only reason Iran wants to talk is because it is 'in a bad state.'
Trump also addressed the US-Israeli relationship, stating that there are 'some disagreements' with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but that the situation is good, and that the two countries' positions on Iran are 'fairly close.' He reiterated that if no deal is reached, the US will return to fighting.
As The Zioneer reported earlier this evening, Trump had already made clear that Iran asked the US to stop and that the talks are proceeding with a 'good chance' of progress. The new remarks add a more explicit explanation of the administration's leverage: Iran's degraded military position, which Trump has previously described as having lost 78% of its missile stockpile, is what brought Tehran to the table.
The US and Israel continue to coordinate on Iran policy, though differences persist over the contours of a potential deal. Trump's characterization of the US-Israel positions as 'fairly close' suggests the administration is seeking to project unity with Jerusalem while maintaining its own negotiating flexibility.
3 developments
- StrongTrump: Iran requested halt to fighting; warns of return to combat if no deal
- StrongTrump: Iran not ready for deal, needs to 'get hit more,' will never have nuclear weapons
- DevelopingTrump says US military on alert, urges Iran to return to negotiations after missile barrage
- DevelopingTrump tells NYT he will 'renew military attacks' on Iran if nuclear talks falter
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