New York (Web Desk): US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he remains hopeful of reaching an understanding with Iran following the US midterm elections, while warning that he would have to make a “big decision” over whether to continue pursuing a deal or move toward destroying the country.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump said, “I have a big decision to make: Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world, or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?”
Trump said he expected an agreement to be reached soon after the November midterm elections, stating, “we’ll make a deal right after the election.” He said Iran appeared to be waiting to assess the Republican Party’s performance in the midterm polls before deciding how to proceed.
“What they don't realize is that I'm not running. I did that already and won in a landslide,” Trump said, adding that he would continue serving as president for another two and a half years and would support Republicans during the elections.
“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn't even enter my mind. The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump said his administration began discussions with Tehran after he assumed office and presented Iran with an offer of “full economic cooperation” in return for ending its nuclear programme and support for terrorism. He claimed that Iran rejected the proposal.
He once again asserted that American military action had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme, leaving the facilities “beneath mountains of rubble.”
“After giving Iran every chance for a deal, I took action to ensure that neither the United States nor any nation at all would ever have to face such a nightmare,” he said.
The US president also claimed that Iran had lost all 159 of its naval vessels, while its air force, radar infrastructure and air defence systems had also been destroyed. He said the country’s missile and drone production capabilities were “almost gone.”
Trump further claimed that Iran’s economy had suffered extensive damage, alleging that inflation had risen to “well over 300%.”
He also accused Tehran of violating a ceasefire connected to nuclear negotiations by attacking civilian vessels belonging to other countries as they passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Rejecting reports that the US was running short of ammunition, Trump said Washington had more munitions than it could “ever possibly even think of using.” He added that the country was increasing its ammunition reserves at unprecedented levels.
The US and Israel launched military action against Iran on Feb. 28, in a conflict that Tehran says resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the region and effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for international energy shipments.
The conflict has subsequently spread across the wider region, while diplomatic efforts are continuing in an attempt to bring the fighting to an end.