Trump: Iranian Leaders Are Strong, But They Have No Choice But to Reach an Agreement

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iranian leaders have not yet reached an agreement with the United States to end the ongoing war because they are "strong," but he considers that in the end, they have "no choice" but to reach an agreement.

Trump added in an interview with NBC News that the Iranians will have to do things they never imagined they would do, indicating that reaching such agreements takes some time.

He criticized calls for speeding up the agreement with Iran, saying that such matters take years to address, accusing Iranian leaders of being behind attacks targeting Americans for decades.

Trump noted that the current war is still in its third month, comparing its duration to the Vietnam War, which lasted 19 years, asserting that criticisms aimed at him concerning the speed of resolving the conflict are unjustified.

He confirmed that the United States has "completely destroyed" Iranian military capabilities, stating that most drone factories, launch pads, and missile manufacturing sites have been destroyed, although Iran still possesses some missiles and drones.

Trump said that Iran retains an estimated 21 to 22 percent of its missile arsenal, adding that these capabilities are still significant but much less than they were at the beginning of U.S. attacks.

He pointed out that Iran has demonstrated its continuing possession of missile and drone capabilities through recent attacks in the Gulf region, which targeted Kuwait International Airport.

The U.S. President reiterated that the war, which began with a series of American and Israeli strikes on Iran, was necessary to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

In another interview conducted on Wednesday, Trump said it is unlikely that the U.S. blockade imposed on Iran will continue until Labor Day, while also hinting at the possibility of not reaching an agreement with the Iranian leadership.

He added, "We have to make a decision, either we sign an agreement or we take the other path," referring to the fact that "the other path is not pleasant."

Trump's statements come at a time when the United States and Iran continue negotiations aimed at ending the war that entered its fourth month last week.

The two countries had reached a cease-fire agreement in April, which was extended several times, despite rising tensions in recent days with exchanges of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.