New Delhi:
A US-Iran peace deal remains elusive as the war approaches its 100th day, with US President Donald Trump blaming it on Tehran being strong and proud, while reiterating his long-maintained stance that “they’ve got no choice” but to agree to an agreement.
Speaking on NBC News‘ ‘Meet The Press‘, Trump was asked why Iran – portrayed by him as desperate to end the war – showed no signs of being near satisfied with a deal. “Because they are strong. They’re proud. There are things they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do, they’ve got no choice, and it takes a little while.” He was likely referring to one of US’ key asks to end the war that centers around Iran halting nuclear enrichment and allowing its uranium stockpile to another country.
Trump also admitted that Iran has the capacity left to continue fighting the war, contradicting his claims that the US military has crippled Tehran’s defenses. “They have some missiles, they have some drones. I would say percentage wise, maybe 21-22 per cent of their missiles. It’s a lot of missiles, but it’s not what it was when we first attacked.”
The US President compared the conflict with the Vietnam war. “I’m moving very fast. I’m into three months. You know, Vietnam lasted 19 years. I’m into my third month, and all they do is say, ‘Whoa, when are you going to win?’ If I were a Democrat, nobody would be talking that way, but it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve gotten so used to it,” he said.
Since a week, the Middle East region has been on the edge as US struck Iranian targets and Tehran retaliated, threatening the ceasefire. Washington repeatedly demanded that free movement be allowed through critical marine chokepoint Strait of Hormuz, and also struck coastal surveillance radar sites in the city of Goruk and on Qeshm Island. Iran responded by striking Kuwait with missiles and drones, while air sirens were sounded in Bahrain.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that they had targeted Ali Al Salem air base, which hosts US forces in Kuwait, and the US Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain. A US Centcom statement said, “There are currently no reports of harm to US personnel, and Iranian claims of damaging US 5th fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false.”
Trump has called for unspecified changes and Iranian officials have shown no public sign of agreeing to the deal. “The negotiations are at a deadlock and Trump must break this deadlock,” Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, told CNN in an interview on Friday, as he called for the release of frozen Iranian assets to the tune of “$24 billion”.
Trump also faces pressure to bring the negotiations to a fruitful end as the global markets remain hit and the US President braces for mid-term elections in November. He did give a timeline on the end of the conflict on New York Post‘s “Pod Force One” podcast, when he said the US blockade of Iran would not likely be in place by Labour Day, whil is on September 7. “Do we sign a deal or we do it the other way?” he asked. “And the other way is not nice.”
