‘No timeline, no nuclear use – Trump’s ‘don’t rush me’ stand on Iran adds to uncertainty

US-Iran Conflict: “I took the country out militarily in the first four weeks. Now what we are doing is sitting back and seeing the deal. If they don’t want to make a deal, then I will finish it up militarily with the rest 25% targets,” he told reporters.

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump said he will not fix any deadline for ending the confrontation with Iran. “Don’t rush me,” he told reporters at the White House on Thursday (April 23), adding that the situation is still developing and he is in no hurry to close negotiations.

He claimed Iran is in a weak position both militarily and economically and argued that the country’s leadership is under pressure.

 “Their military is totally defeated. Their Navy and Air Force are gone. Their anti-aircraft systems are gone. Their leaders are gone,” he said.

He added that alleged internal leadership problems in Tehran are also affecting decision-making. “They have lost their leadership and are fighting among themselves. So who is actually in control?” he said.

Trump also referred to the killing of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, saying his removal had changed the situation. “Soleimani was a brilliant general. Things would not have moved this far if he had not been taken out,” he said.

Nuclear deal under fire

The US president criticised the earlier nuclear agreement signed between America and Iran during Barack Obama’s presidency. He said it allowed Iran a path toward nuclear weapons.

“I ended the nuclear deal that Obama made. It was a bad deal. It gave them a road to a nuclear weapon,” he said.

He also claimed Iran is under strong economic pressure and wants talks with Washington. “They are not doing well financially. They want a deal. We have been speaking to them, but they don’t even know who is leading them,” he said.

Trump said the US position is clear on nuclear weapons. “They cannot have the nuclear bomb, and they are not going to have it,” he said.

‘No use of nuclear weapon’

In a separate interaction with reporters, Trump was asked whether he would consider using nuclear weapons against Iran.

He dismissed the question and said, “Why would anyone ask that? No, I would not use it. A nuclear weapon should never be used by anybody.”

He added that the United States has no shortage of energy supplies and a strong economy. He said oil flows and trade routes are stable despite tensions.

Strait of Hormuz and oil pressure

Trump also spoke about the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States has strong control over the situation and is using it as leverage in talks with Iran.

“We have total control of the Strait. It will open when a deal is made,” he said and added that Iran’s oil situation is under pressure and storage limits are affecting its exports.

According to him, “We don’t want them making $500 million a day until there is a deal.”

He also claimed that many oil shipments are now moving through routes connected to the United States instead of the Strait of Hormuz.

Military pressure and negotiations

Trump said the United States has carried out a large portion of its planned military action.

“We have hit 78% of the targets we wanted. If they don’t agree, we can finish the remaining targets,” he said.

He added that further action is still an option but insisted that a negotiated settlement is preferred. “I want a deal that lasts. I could finish this quickly, but I don’t want a short-term outcome,” he said.

Humanitarian intervention claim

Trump also said Washington had intervened in a reported execution case involving women in Iran.

He said, “Eight women were due to be executed. We asked them not to do it, and they agreed to pause it.”

He added that some of them may be released later, while others could be in custody for a short period.

Position on regional groups

On Iran’s ties with armed groups in the region, Trump said any agreement would require changes. “They will have to cut off support to groups like Hezbollah. That is necessary,” he said.

He added that the United States is not under pressure to conclude talks and will decide the timing based on developments on the ground.