US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington has a clear choice in its approach towards Iran, either reach a negotiated settlement or proceed militarily, as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East.“There are options. Do we want to go and blow them up and destroy them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal. Those are the options,” Trump told reporters, referring to a US Central Command briefing.While accepting the military route, he said, “On humanitarian grounds, I would not prefer it.”
Doubt on deal, questions on Iran leadership
Trump signaled dissatisfaction with Tehran’s latest proposal to end the conflict. “They want to do a deal, but I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” he said, adding, “They’ve made progress, but I’m not sure if they’ll ever get there”.He also pointed to internal divisions within Iran, saying, “The leadership is very fragmented… two to three groups, maybe four… They all want to make an agreement, but they’re all messed up.”
Questioning the war effort is ‘treasonous’
In separate comments, Trump criticized domestic opponents who questioned the progress of the war, calling such claims “treasonous.” “We have the radical left saying, ‘We’re not winning’…that’s really…treasonous,” he said.He claimed that Iran’s military has been severely weakened, insisting, “They have no navy… no air force… no radar… all their leaders are gone,” although he did not provide evidence.Trump also defended US attacks on Iran’s nuclear program, saying, “We stopped them with B2 bombers… If we hadn’t done that, they would have had a nuclear weapon,” warning that Israel, the Middle East and Europe could be in danger.Responding to news agency ANI, Trump expressed support for Pakistan’s leadership and acknowledged opening land transit routes for trade with Iran. This step has been taken at a time when thousands of containers are stranded at Iranian ports due to US sanctions.Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Trump insisted that the US would not exit the conflict prematurely, adding, “We’re not going to rush out and have this kind of problem arise over the next three years.”