Washington: US President Donald Trump said he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the conflict and signalled openness to further military and strategic moves, including eliminating Tehran’s remaining missile capability and reducing American troop levels in Europe.
Trump spoke briefly to reporters on the tarmac before departure from Palm Beach. “We’re doing very well with regard to Iran. They want to make a deal,” he said.
He confirmed he is examining a reported 14-point proposal from Tehran. “I’m looking at it… I’ll let you know about it later,” he said.
In separate remarks from the same exchange, Trump described Iran as weakened. “They wanna make a deal, they’re decimated. They’re having a hard time figuring out who their leader is,” he said.
Asked about the remaining portion of Iran’s missile capability, which he estimated at about 15 per cent, Trump said he would like to see it removed. “Well, I’d like to eliminate it. Yeah. I’d like to. It’d be a start for them to build up again, and yeah, I would like to eliminate it,” he said.
He declined to specify conditions for further US military action but did not rule it out. “If they misbehave if they do something bad… it’s a possibility that could happen. Certainly,” he said.
Trump also defended ongoing US enforcement measures in the region, calling them stable. “Well, it’s a very friendly blockade. Nobody’s even challenging it. Nobody at all is challenging it,” he said.
On the economic front, he left open the possibility of American energy companies operating in Iran. “Could be. It could be,” he said.
He pointed to strong US oil shipments. “We have a lot of ships coming up to Texas and Louisiana… literally hundreds of ships are in line… we’re selling a lot of oil,” he said.
Separately, Trump said the United States will reduce its troop presence in Germany beyond earlier expectations. “We’re gonna cut way down and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” he said.
He also criticised congressional scrutiny of military actions, saying it weakens negotiations. He said such moves are “hurting our negotiating ability, which is infinite right now.”
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