US President Donald Trump has said a new American offensive against Iran is ‘highly unlikely’ if negotiations make progress towards what he called a ‘very strong agreement’ on Tehran’s nuclear programme and on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump made the remarks in a 20-minute phone interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto on Sunday, 8 November, repeating the phrase ‘highly unlikely’ five times during the conversation, according to CNN.
He also stressed that US forces remained ready if talks failed, pointing to three aircraft carriers in the region that he described as ‘fully locked and loaded’. He claimed Iran now retains only about 10% of its missile capacity and 15% of its drone capabilities, and said 38 bridges in Iran were targets that US forces could ‘knock down in literally one hour’.
The remarks come after a war launched by the United States and Israel in late February. Outright fighting has largely subsided, but Iran has continued efforts to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while the US has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said mediators had not travelled since the ‘shock’ of the US midterm elections. Iraq, meanwhile, has reached understandings with the US on oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz via a lane near Oman. Iraq has reported losses of $60 billion from the disruption.
Sources: Times of Israel ; CNN
