US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran was now getting “very serious” in talks with Washington, even as he has not yet decided whether to launch major new strikes.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether he had made a decision on a large-scale military operation, following reports that he had been meeting advisors on the matter. He said he had not made a final call, but that Tehran appeared to be taking the talks more seriously as time passes.
What did Trump say about his decision?
Asked if he had made a decision about resumption of full-scale attacks amid media reports that he was meeting with advisers on the subject, Trump responded, “No, I haven’t.”
“We’re locked and loaded and ready to go. But we’re talking to them, so I think while we’re talking, we’ll see what comes of it. I believe…They’re very serious. They should be,” Trump said without specifying how the talks were being conducted.
He said Iran now faced a choice between striking a deal or facing a much heavier round of strikes, after nearly two weeks of US attacks that left an earlier ceasefire in tatters.
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What are his options for ending the war?
Trump said his exit strategy could go one of two ways. One option, he said, was to keep up the current pace of strikes, or even increase them, until the mission is complete. The other was a smarter route through negotiation, since he believes Iran does want a deal, even if it isn’t ready yet. “They do want to make a deal,” Trump said.
President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House. (AP Photo)
Trump said negotiations with Tehran were ongoing even as the US carried out a 13th consecutive night of strikes. He said the US could move faster with more strikes, or continue talking, and that both options remained open at once.
What is Trump’s red line?
The war, which Trump once predicted would last four or five weeks, is now close to five months old. and is weighing on his approval ratings ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump said he did not know exactly what would trigger a final decision, but repeated that his red line remained any sign Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon.
The US says its strikes are meant to stop Iran from shutting the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route, while Iran has hit back with strikes on US bases that have killed four American service members.
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US President Donald Trump (AP Photo) 
