Trump says renewed conflict with Iran unlikely if negotiations progress

Trump repeated this assertion five times during an interview with CNN. “It depends on whether or not they sign a very solid deal,” Trump told CNN’s Jim Sciutto during a 20-minute phone interview, referring to Iran. “The answer is that it’s very unlikely that it will be necessary.

He described Iran as a failing nation, citing a reported 301% inflation rate this year. “It’s very unlikely that it will be necessary. I would do it if it were necessary, but we hit them very hard. I hit them very hard. They don’t know how hard I hit them.”

Trump added that Iran is weakening financially and has been militarily targeted, stating, “We could knock them out.” He affirmed, “We’re prepared for that.”

Eight months after the start of the conflict, the two countries remain at an impasse, with limited military activity and little diplomatic progress, while oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz have been targeted by Iranian attacks. Both countries and Qatari officials, who have mediated the conversations, have remained silent regarding the status of the negotiations.

Some hardline factions in Iran have interpreted the results of last week’s midterm elections – partly driven by voter disapproval of the war – as a sign that Trump’s presidency has weakened and may be more willing to concede to Iran’s demands to continue its nuclear program, which it claims is needed for energy production, and maintain control of the Strait.

Iran has also struggled to sell crude oil on global markets due to U.S. sanctions, with billions of dollars in assets held in foreign banks frozen.

Trump clarified during the interview that U.S. forces are positioned in the region in case he orders an attack. “We’re prepared for that. I have three aircraft carriers here. The other one just arrived. We have three. They are fully prepared and armed,” he said.

The president also stated that the U.S. has identified infrastructure targets within Iran in case military action resumes, including power plants and bridges. “We have 38 bridges in our sights that we can literally knock down in an hour. All will be destroyed,” he said. However, he expressed a preference to avoid destroying Iranian infrastructure, noting it would take 10 years to rebuild.

Diplomatic activity in the Middle East has increased since Tuesday’s midterm elections. On Friday, Qatar reported that Trump had called the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to discuss de-escalation. The day before, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, spoke with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, and Qatar.

Regarding Iran’s ability to defend itself against potential U.S. attacks, Trump claimed that Iranian air defenses have been destroyed. “It’s unstoppable because they don’t have any kind of air weaponry. All of their air weaponry has disappeared,” he asserted.

Trump also provided new details regarding Iran’s missile and drone reserves, stating the regime retains 10% of its missile capability and 15% of its drone capability. “The only thing they can do is operate at about a 10% level: manufacture some missiles and some drones. The drones are around 15% because much of their factories have disappeared,” he said. He reiterated, “It’s very unlikely that it will be necessary. They want to make a deal desperately.”