U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran on ending hostilities have yet to reach a satisfactory level.
Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Trump said, "Iran very much wants to make a deal," but added, "So far, they have not reached a level that satisfies us." Trump went on to say, "If no deal is reached, we'll just have to finish the job," reiterating that Iran's military capabilities have been completely eliminated. "They are barely engaging in negotiations, exhausted," he added. "We may have to go back and finish them off, or we may not need to right now." The remarks were interpreted as suggesting the possibility of large-scale airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure such as power plants.
Asked about the status of negotiations with Iran, Trump again asserted, "Our U.S. negotiating team is doing very well," adding, "If Iran doesn't give us what they need to give us, the man on my left (Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth) will finish them off." In response, Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave weight to the possibility of an agreement, saying, "Diplomacy is always the first option." Rubio said, "If it doesn't work, President Trump has other options," but emphasized, "The key point is that we prefer the diplomatic path, and we will see if progress can be made in the coming hours and days."
Trump also dismissed suggestions that Iran was using his declining approval ratings ahead of the November U.S. midterm elections as leverage in negotiations, saying, "I don't care about the midterms." Trump said, "People understand that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons," adding, "I'm doing this for the entire world."
Trump also reviewed the United States' essential requirements for an agreement to end hostilities with Iran. Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Trump explained, "It will be available to all countries, and under international rules, no one can control it," adding, "We will monitor it." On the release of frozen assets or easing of sanctions that Iran is demanding as conditions for negotiations, Trump stressed, "We are not talking about easing sanctions or giving money," adding, "We will continue to control the money they claim is theirs and return it when they behave correctly."
Trump also signaled that he would not tolerate China or Russia handling Iran's highly enriched uranium. "That's an approach I'm uncomfortable with," Trump said.
