Geostrategic Media Political Commentary, Analysis, Security, Defense
President says diplomacy remains possible but warns US is ‘locked and loaded’ if military action becomes necessary
President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran is showing its strongest commitment yet in negotiations with the United States but that he has not decided whether to launch major military strikes against the country.
“We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I think they’re being serious. I think they are being by far the most serious that we’ve seen them,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we get there. We’ll see what happens.”
Asked whether he had decided to launch major strikes on Iran, Trump replied: “No, I haven’t.”
“We can take that to a much higher level if we want to, we’re prepared to do that … We’re locked and loaded and ready to go,” he said.
“There are two ways. I consider that the smarter way, but the other is probably the easier way,” Trump added, referring to diplomacy and military action.
Asked if his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law/advisor Jared Kushner are involved in talks with Iran, Trump said “everybody,” including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is involved.
“It’s a big deal. They cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
“Despite what everyone says about the election, I’m not in a hurry. We have to do it right,” he added, referring to the US midterm elections this fall, where Republican strategists say they are worried the unpopular war will cost Trump’s party seats in both houses of Congress.
Trump himself is not on the November ballot, but if Democrats capture one or both houses, they could make it harder for him to govern in the last two years of his term.
The US has carried out a series of strikes across Iran since last week responding to what it says are Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has responded with attacks targeting facilities and bases it says are used by the US military in several countries across the region.
The exchange of attacks has continued despite a Pakistani-brokered framework agreement signed by the US and Iran in June to end their war that began in February and pave the way for a lasting peace deal.
