Suggesting that the United States (US) has an upper hand over Iran as negotiations continue, President Donald Trump said on Thursday (local time) that Tehran was completely defeated by Washington and the Middle East nation was forced to reach to an agreement.
In his remarks at Rose Garden Club dinner with American farmers at the White House in Washington, the Republican leader also defended his actions and said it only increased the bargaining power of the US as talks between the two sides continue.
“We knocked the hell out of them, and now we’re negotiating from a position of pure strength, pure strength. They know that,” the 80-year-old said. “Iran wants to make a deal with us very badly. We probably will.”
Trump said the US was forced to act against Iran because of concerns over its nuclear programme, which he described as a “demise for Israel and the Middle East” had it been a success. He also reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains completely operational.
“The Strait of Hormuz is open and witnessed yesterday the exit of 19 million barrels of oil, the highest figure in its history,” Trump, a two-time US president, said.
The over three-month long conflict in the Middle East ended this month after a peace agreement was digitally signed by Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian. As per the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), all hostilities have to be stopped on all fronts, including Lebanon.ย
The MoU also led to Hormuz’s reopening and the US lifting its naval blockade. On Iran’s nuclear programme, the agreement said Iran has affirmed it will not develop nuclear weapons and it will handover its enriched uranium to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).ย
The framework also includes the unfreezing of Iranian assets and the US providing a financial aid to the Middle East nation to recover from the war. The White House has also requested an additional USD 87.6 billion in spending, but the Congress has been urged by the Democrats to not accept this demand.ย
The Democrats have been against the Iran war since the beginning and a resolution to halt the conflict was recently passed by the US Senate, which was also backed some Republicans, a move that was harshly criticised by Trump.
ALSO READ –ย ‘This was not easy’: What Trump said moments before signing the Iran peace deal | VIDEO