U.S. President Donald Trump said that if there is progress in the negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the likelihood of striking Iran again is very low. However, he warned that three U.S. aircraft carriers are deployed in the Middle East and that they could strike Iranian power plants and bridges if necessary.
In a phone interview with CNN on the 8th (local time), President Trump said that whether there would be further attacks "depends on whether they sign a very strong agreement." In a roughly 20-minute interview, he repeated five times that the likelihood of the need for further military action was very low. President Trump said, "We are prepared," noting that all three aircraft carriers are armed. He added, "There are 38 bridges in the operational area that can be destroyed within an hour." However, he said he did not want to attack the infrastructure, stating that "it would take 10 years to rebuild" if the bridge were destroyed. President Trump claimed that Iran's air defense network has been destroyed and that its missile and drone capabilities are down to only about 10% and 15% of their previous levels, respectively. He added, "Iran is very eager to negotiate."
Negotiations between the United States and Iran remain deadlocked eight months after the outbreak of the war. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for securing energy and says it will continue its nuclear activities while keeping control over the Strait of Hormuz. The mediator country, Qatar, said that President Trump spoke with King Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss ways to ease tensions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also held consecutive calls with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Pakistan. Reporter Park Jong-seo park.jongsuh@joongang.co.kr
Trump appears to be a symbol of incompetence.
