US President Donald Trump said that Iranian leaders were effectively “begging to make a deal” to end the ongoing Middle East war, dismissing reports that he was actively seeking talks.
The US president claimed Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz as a "present" to show it was serious about negotiations to end the war.
Referring to cryptic comments earlier this week about a "gift" from Tehran, Trump said Iran allowed eight "big boats of oil" to transit the waterway earlier this week, followed by two others later on.
He also said that the “US taking control of Iran's oil is an option.”
Trump said the United States had largely dismantled Tehran’s leadership, leaving survivors unable to communicate effectively, and emphasised that Washington would only accept the “right deal” to secure peace at his first cabinet meeting on Thursday since the conflict began.
He said that US military operations against Iran are "extremely" ahead of schedule, citing an original timeframe of four to six weeks for the war that began nearly a month ago.
"We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission. Twenty-six days in, we're extremely, really, a lot ahead of schedule," he said at the meeting.
Trump also said the US cannot confirm Iran dropped mines in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming, “We blew up all the mine droppers.”
He also boasted that the US does not need the Strait of Hormuz “at all”, saying America is “not affected as a coalition of ships stands ready”.
Trump also said he was “very disappointed” with NATO for what he described as a lack of rescue support and issued a warning to Tehran to “permanently abandon” its nuclear ambitions or face a future where the US would be its “worst nightmare.”
