U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran is now in a weakened position following the recent escalation in the Middle East, asserting that Tehran is seeking to reach an agreement with the United States, while stressing that he would not approve such a deal.
In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump criticized the media, accusing it of spreading “fake news” and ignoring what he described as major successes achieved by the U.S. military against Iran.
Trump wrote: “The fake news media hates talking about the great results achieved by the U.S. military against Iran, which has been totally defeated and wants to make a deal, but it won’t be a deal I agree to.”
Trump had earlier stated that “Iran is dying militarily,” adding that “the United States will accept nothing less than surrender.”
He also said: “The Iranians lost their military forces and their leaders, then they wanted to negotiate and I said it’s too late.”
He added: “There is no longer any air defense, no air force, no navy, and no Iranian leadership. They want to talk. I told them: it’s too late.”
These remarks came after Trump announced that Washington had struck military targets on Kharg Island, a key hub for Iran’s oil exports, noting that the U.S. Navy will soon begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that talks with the United States remain unlikely at this stage, stressing that Iran’s missile attacks will continue as long as they are deemed necessary.
Speaking to PBS News, Araghchi said: “I do not think talking to the Americans will be on our agenda anymore,” adding that Tehran had gone through “a very bitter experience” during previous negotiations with the United States.
