US President Donald Trump revealed his “sole condition” for ending the war with Iran in an interview with the conservative news channel Newsmax, published Thursday.
Trump said that “the United States has dealt a devastating blow to the Iranian military and its leadership,” but stressed that “the conflict will not end until Tehran is permanently prevented from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”
He continued, “We have already won, but I want to make it even bigger. We have destroyed their navy, their air force, everything they have. If you look at their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar equipment, their leadership—their leadership has been destroyed. We have destroyed everything.”
Trump described Iran as “very, very weak militarily and economically,” saying that “only strong guarantees against their nuclear program can deliver a lasting result.”
The US president also said that Iran’s ability to recover from the damage inflicted upon it has been “very, very weak,” adding, “If we withdraw now, it will take them 20 years to rebuild, if they can even.” However, Trump said that military gains alone were insufficient, explaining, “We have to make sure they never have a nuclear weapon.”
He expressed his belief that “Iran would use a nuclear weapon if they got one,” adding, “I deal with them and I know them very well. They would use their nuclear weapon, and we’re not going to give them the chance.”
On the other hand, Trump said that Iran was already facing severe economic pressure, stating, “Their economy is collapsing now, and inflation is close to 100 percent. They can’t export any oil because the sanctions imposed on them are 100 percent effective.”
He noted that international reactions to the war “have been generally supportive,” but he reiterated his criticism of “allies for not taking more decisive action,” specifically mentioning NATO countries.
He said, “I think what I’m doing is very popular. The world is thanking me because I shouldn’t have to do it. Other presidents should have done it a long time ago, and other countries should have done it.”
