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US President Donald Trump has indicated that the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran could be nearing an end, asserting that mounting military and economic pressure has placed Tehran in a weakened position and may push it towards a resolution.
Speaking to Fox News on the evolving situation, Trump said, "I think the big advantage is that we've taken out their navy in its entirety... They have no air force left. They have no navy left...They're in bad shape. I mean, they're really in bad shape. And of course, we've done the blockade, and the blockade's been unbelievably effective, and that means they can't get any more money," he said, pointing to what he described as extensive damage to Iran's military and industrial capabilities. Trump added that internal divisions within Iran's leadership could further accelerate the path to an outcome. "Their leaders are gone, which is a good thing. They were far more radicalised than the people that we're dealing with now. The people we're dealing with now, some of them are very reasonable people, and others are not. And they're not getting along. You know, there's a lot of in-fighting as you know. But you know, they don't have anti-aircraft equipment, they don't have radar equipment. It's all been blown up. Their factories, their missile-making factories have been damaged about 75%, which isn't 100%, so there's danger there," he said, expressing hope that Tehran would take a pragmatic approach moving forward. Trump further signalled confidence that the situation could conclude in Washington's favour. "I hope they're going to be smart, and if they're not smart, we're going to win anyway," he said, suggesting that an end to the standoff may be approaching. Earlier on Sunday, the US President said Washington would not send delegations abroad for negotiations, instead urging Iran to initiate contact. "If they wanna talk, they can come to us or they can call us. We are not sending people to travel 18 hours to meet," Trump told Fox News, signalling a shift towards remote engagement. He reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, stating, "They cannot have a nuclear weapon. Otherwise, there's no reason to meet," while adding that discussions, if any, would now take place via telephone. Meanwhile, Iran has continued its diplomatic outreach, with Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi travelling between Oman, Pakistan and Russia to sustain dialogue and explore pathways to de-escalation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, however, maintained that Tehran would not negotiate under pressure, criticising US actions as inconsistent with diplomatic commitments. He reaffirmed Iran's position on defending its national interests while calling for regional stability through cooperation. (ANI)
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