OMM Newsroom
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington was not negotiating with Iran and that “something one way or the other” would happen “fairly soon”, Anadolu Agency reported.
“No, I think we’re not negotiating,” Trump told reporters after returning from a rally in South Carolina. “We are going to have something one way or the other that’ll happen fairly soon.” He added that “most people” appeared to think it would happen after the election, and said, “we’re going to see what happens.”
At the rally, Trump said the US could end its war with Iran immediately but wanted to ensure the outcome would last. “It’ll end very soon. We could leave now, but we want to make sure it lasts for a long time,” he said.
Trump claimed the US had defeated Iran militarily and financially, and said Tehran would “never have a nuclear weapon.”
His remarks followed a report by “The New York Times” that US and Israeli militaries had developed plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections. The newspaper cited US officials and others briefed on the deliberations.
The report said it was uncertain whether Trump would approve the strikes, noting that he had repeatedly vetoed plans to return to major combat this year. A White House official told the newspaper that the administration does not comment on military plans “that may or may not exist.”
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks in the region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
A memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June after mediation by Pakistan and Qatar has since stalled amid disagreements, including over navigation in the strait.
