US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he believes Iran has “agreed to just about everything we need” as negotiations continue between Washington and Tehran for reaching a comprehensive accord.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with CNBC, Trump expressed optimism about the talks, following last month’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) that extended the ceasefire between the two countries, reopened the Strait of Hormuz and launched a 60-day negotiating process focused on Iran’s nuclear programme and broader security issues.
“I think they’ve agreed to just about everything we need,” Trump said, while acknowledging that negotiations remain ongoing. “We’re negotiating, and we’ll see.”
However, Trump did not specify which issues he believed had been resolved, as talks on a final agreement are yet to begin on disagreements over the vital Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran blocked early in the war, rocking the global economy.
Trump dismissed suggestions that the Iran war could evolve into another prolonged US military engagement, arguing that the situation was fundamentally different from previous American wars.
“This is not a war per se. This is the denuking of Iran,” he said. “You can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
The president described Iran as “the bully of the Middle East” and compared the country’s leadership to “a spoiled child” adjusting to new constraints after decades of pursuing its policies without significant consequences.
Trump also reiterated his claim that military strikes against Iran’s leadership had resulted in a more pragmatic government emerging in Tehran.
“We’re on the third set of leaders, and we actually get along with them,” he said. “I think they’re much more rational.”
While suggesting that such a transformation could be considered a form of regime change, Trump insisted that removing Iran’s government was not Washington’s objective.
“I’m not looking for regime change,” he said. “I’m looking for something very simple. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump further claimed that US military operations had devastated Iran’s capabilities during the war “They have no navy, they have no air force, they have no radar, their leaders are all dead,” Trump claimed. “Their strength is gone, their bravado is gone.”
He went on to acknowledge that Tehran still possessed potent missile capabilities but suggested the US retained the ability to neutralise them should the need arise.
Trump also pointed to what he described as growing economic pressure on Tehran, citing high inflation and the impact of restrictions on Iranian oil exports.
“They have 300% inflation, they’re making no money,” he said.
Simultaneously, he highlighted Washington’s efforts during the conflict to maintain maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian attempts to disrupt shipping, which has rocked the global economy.
“Every night, we were taking ships out through the South,” Trump said, claiming that vessels had successfully navigated the area under US protection despite the tensions.
Trump has repeatedly asserted that Iran is prepared to abandon any path to a nuclear weapon and has previously claimed Tehran would allow the removal of its enriched uranium stockpiles. Iranian officials, however, have publicly rejected those assertions.
The president further went on to label the 2015 nuclear agreement negotiated under former president Barack Obama a failure and said it did not stop Iran from advancing its military and nuclear capabilities in subsequent years.
“They got a lot of nuclear research, and a lot of weapons, and a lot of missiles, and an enemy,” he said of the outcome from Obama’s handling of Iran. “They actually went on the other side, and how a Jewish person can vote for a Democrat is beyond me.”
