Trump says Iran ‘dying to make a deal’ as Khamenei vows ‘new chapter’ for Gulf
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed Iran is eager to reach a deal with Washington, even as Tehran’s supreme leader issued a defiant statement on the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Trump rejected describing the confrontation as a war.
“I don’t call it a war. I’d rather have a military operation,” Trump said. “Iran is dying to make a deal.”
He added that Iran “want[s] to make a deal badly,” but said uncertainty over Iran’s leadership had complicated negotiations.
“We have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are,” Trump said. “The leaders have been wiped out along with their military, almost all of their military.”
Trump’s comments came after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, released a statement promising what he described as a “new chapter” for the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. Khamenei said the region’s future would be one “without America,” and warned that foreign powers had no place in the waters of the Gulf.
“Outsiders who, driven by greed, come from thousands of miles away to stir trouble have no place there, except at the bottom of its waters,” the statement read.
A first round of talks in Islamabad last month failed to produce a deal, while a planned second round did not materialise. Trump later moved to extend the existing ceasefire to allow more time for negotiations, Viory reports.
Pakistan has played a key role as a mediator between the two sides, but major disagreements remain, including over Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
