US President Donald Trump on Friday said Washington faces a clear choice in its approach to Iran, either pursue a negotiated settlement or escalate militarily, as tensions continue in the Middle East.
“There are options. Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal. That's the options,” Trump told reporters, referring to briefings by US Central Command.
While acknowledging the military route, he added, “On a human basis, I'd prefer not.”
Doubts over deal, questions on Iran leadership
Trump signalled dissatisfaction with Tehran’s latest proposal to end the conflict. “They want to make a deal, but I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” he said, adding, “They've made strides, but I'm not sure if they ever get there”.
He also pointed to internal divisions within Iran, saying, “The leadership is very disjointed… two to three groups, maybe four… they all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up.”
‘Treasonous’ to question war effort
In separate remarks, Trump criticised domestic opponents questioning the war’s progress, calling such claims “treasonous.” “We get the radical left to say, ‘We're not winning’… It’s actually… treasonous,” he said.
He claimed Iran’s military had been severely weakened, asserting, “They have no navy… no air force… no radar… their leaders are all gone,” though he did not provide evidence.
Trump also defended US strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme, saying, “We stopped them with the B2 bombers… If we didn't do that, they would've had a nuclear weapon,” warning that Israel, the Middle East and Europe could have been at risk.
Responding to news agency ANI, Trump acknowledged Pakistan opening land transit routes for trade with Iran, expressing support for its leadership. The move comes as thousands of containers remain stranded due to US restrictions on Iranian ports.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Trump stressed the US would not exit the conflict prematurely, “We're not going to leave early and have this kind of problem arise in three more years.”
