US President Donald Trump has said it makes “no difference” to him whether Washington reaches a deal with Iran, even as negotiations between the two sides continue in Pakistan under a fragile two-week ceasefire.
Speaking to reporters, Trump struck a defiant tone, claiming the United States had already secured victory in the conflict.
“We’re in very deep negotiations with Iran. We win regardless. We’ve defeated them militarily… Whether we make a deal or not, it makes no difference to me the reason is because we’ve won,” he said.
He went on to assert that US forces had crippled Iran’s military capabilities.
“We have defeated their navy, their air force, their aircraft, their radar — and their leaders are all dead,” Trump claimed.
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Warning to China
Trump also issued a sharp warning to China amid reports that Beijing may be preparing to support Tehran militarily.
“If China does that, China is going to have big problems,” he said, referring to intelligence reports of possible shipments of air defence systems to Iran.
According to US media reports, the equipment could be routed through third countries to obscure its origin. The development comes ahead of Trump’s expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.
Hormuz remains sticking point
Meanwhile, talks between US and Iranian delegations have stretched late into the night in Pakistan, with no breakthrough so far. Officials say the negotiations are ongoing but remain complicated, particularly over control of the Strait of Hormuz a vital global oil transit route.
Iranian state-linked media described US proposals as “unacceptable”, accusing Washington of making “excessive demands” on multiple issues, including the strategic strait.
However, a Pakistani official told AFP that discussions were “progressing in the right direction” after two rounds of talks.
The negotiations are seen as a key test of whether the temporary ceasefire can be extended into a more durable agreement, even as sharp rhetoric from both sides underscores the fragility of the process.
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US President Donald Trump. 
