Donald Trump on Monday asserted that Iran had signalled readiness to refrain from pursuing a nuclear weapon, saying discussions between Washington and Tehran had made unexpected progress. Speaking at the Memphis Safe Task Force Roundtable, he said the conversations began over the past two days and appeared positive. He added that Iran “wants peace” and that there was now “a very good chance” of reaching a deal that also protects the interests of Middle Eastern partners, including Israel.
Operation Epic Fury temporarily paused
Trump announced that, based on preliminary exchanges with Iran, he had instructed the US Department of War to temporarily halt planned strikes on Iran’s energy and electricity networks under Operation Epic Fury. He said this pause was intended to assess whether a wider arrangement could be achieved and warned that Iran had “one more opportunity” to end its threats towards the United States and its allies.
Trump details scale of US military action
The US President claimed that American operations had already dismantled Iran’s defence capacity. According to him, “We have annihilated their defence industrial base, eliminating their Navy. We eliminated their Air Force. We eliminated all of their air defence. Everything.” He added that potential successors among the Iranian leadership had been neutralised, creating an environment where “nobody wants to be the leader.” Trump maintained that the US was “systematically dismantling the regimeโs ability to threaten America.”
Tehran denies any talks
In a sharp counter, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf rejected Trump’s statements and insisted that no negotiations were underway between Tehran and Washington. He said the assertions were crafted to influence financial and oil markets already rattled by the crisis. Ghalibaf stressed that Trump’s narrative did not reflect any real diplomatic engagement and accused the US of attempting to reshape the global perception of the conflict.
ALSO READ:ย Netanyahu speaks to Trump, says Israeli attacks on Iran to continue as US President calls for ceasefire