Washington, 18 September (H.S.): U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran wants to reach an agreement, but said that, in his personal view, Tehran is not yet fully prepared to do so. He said the United States would either negotiate a good deal that serves American interests or reach no agreement at all.

According to Iran International, which cited an interview Trump gave to Fox News on Thursday, Iran wants to strike a deal with the United States but is not fully prepared for it. Trump indicated that any agreement would have to meet American expectations.

Trump’s remarks came at a time when he is expected to meet leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states in New York next week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump claimed that U.S. strikes, carried out using B-2 bombers, had destroyed Iran’s capability to develop nuclear weapons. He said that had this not happened, Tehran would have possessed a nuclear weapon by now. Describing Iran as being in a very weak position, Trump claimed that its economy was at its worst level, citing inflation of more than 300 percent and alleging that military and police personnel were not receiving their salaries.

Claiming that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, “I think ultimately, we are going to win. I don’t know whether that will be through a deal or not, but we are already winning.”

In contrast to the U.S. president’s claims, a former Pentagon official has said that the war with Iran could end by November this year. Iran International, citing former Pentagon official Brent Sadler, reported that the conflict could end by November because the U.S. naval blockade and economic pressure on Tehran are having an impact.

Sadler said, “If you look at it from a financial and monetary perspective, the numbers certainly point in that direction.” He said the conflict could end before the end of the year or around the time of the elections in November. According to Sadler, the principal reasons behind his assessment are the U.S. naval blockade and other forms of economic warfare.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar