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US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said the United States faces a stark choice in its approach to Iran, either to pursue a negotiated settlement or escalate militarily, as tensions continue to rise in the West Asia region.
When asked over the briefing given by CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, Trump told reporters, "There are options. Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal. That's the options." "On a human basis, I'd prefer not," Trump said. "But that's the option: do we want to go in there heavy and just blast them away or do we want to do something?" Trump also addressed questions from ANI regarding Pakistan's opening of land transit routes for trade with Iran, saying he was aware of the development and expressed support for Islamabad's leadership. "Yeah. I know everything about it. Yeah," he said, adding, "I have great respect for Pakistan and for the Field Marshal and for the Prime Minister." As reported by Al Jazeera, Pakistan has opened six overland transit routes for goods destined for Iran, establishing a formal road corridor through its territory. The report said the move comes as thousands of shipping containers remain stranded at Karachi port amid continued US restrictions on Iranian ports and maritime access. Al Jazeera further reported that Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce issued the "Transit of Goods through Territory of Pakistan Order 2026" on April 25, allowing goods from third countries to be transported by road into Iran with immediate effect. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's latest proposal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, while also casting doubt on whether a final agreement can be reached. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "They want to make a deal, but I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens." He did not elaborate on the specific aspects of the proposal he found unacceptable but indicated uncertainty over Tehran's willingness to ultimately agree to a settlement. "They've made strides, but I'm not sure if they ever get there," Trump added, while speaking on the White House's South Lawn. The US President also pointed to internal divisions within Iran's leadership, suggesting that disunity could be affecting the negotiation process. "The leadership is very disjointed. It's got two to three groups, maybe four, and it's a very disjointed leadership. And with that being said, they all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up," the US President said. His remarks come after Iran submitted its latest proposal aimed at advancing negotiations to end the ongoing West Asia conflict with the US, in response to recent amendments introduced by Washington to a draft plan aimed at ending the conflict. (ANI)
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