‘World’s most powerful reset': Trump's cryptic post ahead of US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan

WASHINGTON, April 10: United States President Donald Trump on Friday dropped a cryptic post on his Truth Social platform hours ahead of his deputy's meeting with Iranian delegation in Pakistan.

'World's most powerful reset,' Trump's social media post read even as Vice President JD Vance departed for Islamabad.

Talks between the US and Iran on a resolution to the conflict are expected to start on Saturday in Islamabad, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance would lead the US delegation.

Trump has declared a victory while announcing a ceasefire on Wednesday and reiterated that the US aims were met in the 5-week conflict.

“Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!” Trump said on Truth Social post on Thursday. “You’ll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran and, to me, it makes no difference, either way.”

Before departing for Islamabad, Vice President JD Vance warned Iran not to "play" Washington even as he hoped peace talks set to start in Pakistan would have a "positive" outcome.

The US team is led by Vice President JD Vance and is expected to include White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

On the Iranian side, Parliament Speaker Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Mohmamad Baqer Zolqadr are said to participate in the talks.

"We're going to try to have a positive negotiation," Vance told reporters at the Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.

"If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they're going to try to play us, then they're going to find the negotiating team is not that receptive," he added.

Trump Warns Iran Against Collecting Tolls in the Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON, April 10: President Trump said Iran is “doing a very poor job” of letting oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz and warned the country against collecting tolls from ships traveling through the strategic waterway. An Iranian lawmaker said earlier that Tehran was charging some ships $2 million. About 20% of the world’s oil is transported through the strait.

Trump’s latest comments add tension to the shaky cease-fire with Iran, which was announced earlier this week. He previously threatened to resume attacks if a deal was not made. Iran and the U.S. have a meeting scheduled for Saturday in Islamabad, although Iranian officials are saying publicly their attendance is contingent on the situation in Lebanon.

Israel said it will begin direct negotiations with Lebanon, with an eye toward a truce, but will also continue military operations against Lebanon-based, Iran-aligned Hezbollah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the U.S.-Iran cease-fire covers that conflict, while Iran insists it does. The U.S. agrees with Israel in this threat to the cease-fire accord.

Trump says American ships will remain around Iran

WASHINGTON, April 9: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that American military ships and aircraft will continue to remain in and around Iran, warning that Washington will resume “shooting” if Tehran does not fully comply with the agreement reached between the two sides.

"All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry ... will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that Israel has proposed limiting its strikes in Lebanon for the duration of the ongoing US-Iran negotiations.

Iran-backed Hezbollah said on Thursday it had launched rockets towards Israel in response to what it called a violation of the US-Iran truce.

Israel launched its deadliest strikes on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah began last month, killing more than 250 people on Wednesday, as the Iran-backed group resumed rocket fire on northern Israel following a brief pause under the two-week US-Iran ceasefire.

The escalation has placed the fragile US-Iran truce under strain, with Tehran warning of a strong response and closing the Strait of Hormuz shortly after signalling it would reopen it.

Trump sets ultimatum for Europe, seeks military commitments from allies in Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON, April 9: United States President Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on his European allies to commit military forces in the Strait of Hormuz, ahead of talks with Iran on Friday.

According to two diplomats, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has informed European leaders that the US President is expecting concrete commitments for Hormuz regarding the deployment of warships or other military capabilities from Europe in the next few days.

This was followed by Trump's post on Truth Social, wherein he stated that NATO would not “understand anything” without pressure upon them.

“None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!” Trump said on Truth Social.

Trump considering pulling out troops from NATO countries opposing war

WASHINGTON, April 9: The White House is considering the withdrawal of US troops out of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries who were allegedly unhelpful to the US during Iran war.

These troops would then be sent to countries who were more supporting as a form of punitive measure for some members of the alliance, the Wall Street Journal reported.

However, this is an improvement from Trump's earlier threat of withdrawing US from the NATO alliance entirely. The new plan has been circulated and has gained support from senior members of the Trump administration in recent weeks.

The US President has, over the past few weeks, slammed NATO, saying he was “disappointed” in the alliance, with countries have refused to help America in the conflict. Trump threatened that he would “remember” which nations had refused help, while also saying that US no longer needed it.

Trump announces two-week ceasefire with Iran

WASHINGTON, April 8: The US military has paused its strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump announced he has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran in a last-minute offramp, allowing him to delay his threat to obliterate Iran's power grid and bridges.

Trump said the proposal, extended by Pakistan, would include opening the Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of the world's energy supplies pass in peacetime-- while Washington and Tehran tried to negotiate a peace deal.

Tehran also said it has accepted the proposal, with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi saying that if the US and Israel halt their attacks, Iran will also suspend its "defensive operation" for two weeks.

Araghchi-- a veteran of past nuclear negotiations with the United States-- said that the Iranian military will coordinate the passage of vessels through the critical waterway during the two-week ceasefire but insisted that "Iran's Armed Forces" would retain control of the passage.

Tehran also claimed victory in the war that started after US-Israeli strikes on February 28 and said it forced the United States to accept its 10-point plan, including lifting sanctions and accepting its nuclear enrichment. In a statement, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the ceasefire plan would require "continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of enrichment, and lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions".

Other key demands in the blueprint, offered through mediators in Pakistan, include US military withdrawal from the Middle East, an end to attacks on Iran and its allies, the release of frozen Iranian assets and a UN Security Council resolution making any deal binding.

"It is to be noted that the adoption of such a resolution shall render all these agreements binding under international law and shall constitute a significant diplomatic victory for the Iranian nation," the country's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.

Crucially, the plan also calls for expanded Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for around a fifth of the world's oil that has been effectively blocked to maritime traffic since the start of the five-week conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that he has received a "workable" 10-point ceasefire proposal from Iran. He said the reason for agreeing to the proposal is that the US has already met and exceeded all military objectives and is very far along with a "definitive agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East."

"Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks. This will be a double-sided CEASEFIRE!" Trump said.

"The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. We received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate," he added.

Trump said that Iran has agreed to almost all the various points of past contention, and this extension will allow time for a permanent agreement to be finalised.

"Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two-week period will allow the Agreement to be finalised and consummated. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this long-term problem close to resolution," he said.

Iran closes Strait of Hormuz again, White House says ‘unacceptable’

TEHRAN, April 8: Iran's state media is reporting that Tehran has again closed the Strait of Hormuz owing to Israeli strikes on Lebanon, which it has considered as ceasefire violations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that closure of Strait of Hormuz “is completely unacceptable”.

The United States called on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz “immediately, quickly, and safely”.

“I will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately quickly and safely,” Leavitt said.

Trump says talks on Iran will be behind closed doors

WASHINGTON, April 8: US President Donald Trump said the peace talks on the Iran conflict would be held behind closed doors even as he flagged reports around the truce as “Fake News”.

“Numerous Agreements, Lists, and Letters are being sent out by people that have absolutely nothing to do with the U.S.A. / Iran Negotiation, in many cases, they are total Fraudsters, Charlatans, and WORSE. They will be rapidly exposed after our Federal Investigation is completed. There is only one group of meaningful “POINTS” that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations,” Trump said on Truth Social.

US official says ceasefire plan published by Iran not the one America agreed to

WASHINGTON, April 8: A US official on Wednesday said a 10-point ceasefire plan published by Iran is not the same set of conditions America agreed to for halting the conflict.

“The document being reported by media outlets is not the working framework,” according to the senior official as saying on the condition of anonymity. “We're not going to negotiate in public out of respect for the process,” the official added.

Trump Says 'Whole Civilisation Will Die Tonight'

WASHINGTON, April 7: US President Donald Trump has issued a big warning to Iran and said that the "whole civilisation will die tonight". In a post on Truth Social, he said that, although he does not want it to happen, "it probably will".

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," he wrote.

He said that tonight will be "one of the most important moments" in world history, as 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death will "finally end."

However, his statement kept the possibility of an off-ramp open, saying that "maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen".

According to the Wall Street Journal, US and regional mediators have been pushing for a 45-day ceasefire that could lead to a permanent end to the Iran war, but officials said little progress has been made. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance has asserted that the US has achieved its war objectives in Iran, leaving the next move to Tehran.

The Islamic Republic replied to Trump, saying, "You and your allies will suffer an unforgettable hit from the ancient civilisation of Iran".

US, Iran in talks for 45-day ceasefire

WASHINGTON, April 6: The United States, Iran and a group of regional mediators are reportedly in talks over the terms of a possible 45-day ceasefire that could pave the way for ending the war in the West Asia.

Talks are being conducted through mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, along with backchannel exchanges between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, Axios reported, citing four sources with knowledge of the diplomatic efforts.

The report further said that the chances of reaching a deal in the next 48 hours are low. However, this is being seen as a “last-ditch” effort to prevent an escalation of the war.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to extend his self-imposed deadline for Iran by 24 hours to make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating infrastructure attacks.

In a cryptic post on Truth Social, Trump gave the new deadline — Tuesday, 8 PM ET.

"Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!" he said in the post.

This came hours after he had posted, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

The new deadline, 0000 GMT or 5:30 AM (IST) Wednesday, would mean another day for Tehran to attempt to placate the mercurial US leader or risk him following through on a threat to destroy the country's power plants and bridges, the threat of which the Islamic Republic has called a “war crime”.

Trump says Tuesday deadline to make a deal with Iran is final

WASHINGTON, April 6: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the Tuesday deadline he has set for Iranto make a ​deal is final and unlikely to be extended, calling Iran's peace proposal significant but ‌not good enough.

Trump has warned U.S. forces will unleash broad attacks on Iranian infrastructure if his Tuesday night deadline for a deal is not met.

"They made a proposal, and it's a significant ​proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough," Trump told reporters ​during an Easter egg event for children on the White House ⁠South Lawn.

Critics have said Trump would be committing war crimes if the U.S. attacked ​civilian power plants, a point that Trump dismissed on Monday.

"I'm not worried about it. ​You know what's a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon," Trump said.

Trump said the five-week conflict could end quickly if Iran does "what they have to do."

"They have to do certain things. They ​know that, they've been negotiating I think in good faith," he said.

Trump, who ​had extended his initial deadline, gave no indication he would do so again.

"Highly unlikely. They've had plenty ‌of ⁠time. In fact, they asked for seven days. I said, I'm going to give you 10. But at the end of 10, all hell's going to break out if you don't get there," he said.

Trump's senior aides have been negotiating with Iran ​indirectly through Pakistan, attempting ​to get a ⁠deal in which Iran will forswear nuclear weapons and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the oil transit waterway. Iran said it ​wanted a permanent end to the war, not just a temporary ​ceasefire.

Trump said ⁠it appeared the latest team representing the Iranian government is "not as radicalized" as others who have been killed in airstrikes.

"We think they're actually smarter," he said.

Trump said if it ⁠were ​up to him, the United States would take control ​of Iran's oil, but he said the American people would probably not understand such a move.

'Open the f-ing strait': Trump's 'living in hell' warning 24 hours before April 6 deadline

WASHINGTON, April 5: A day before his April 6 deadline to Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump went all out with cuss words against Iran, saying “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day”, and reverting to his original warning of attacks on energy infrastructure.

In an expletive-laden social media post, the US President wrote: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell." He said Monday would also be “Bridge Day”, speaking of what the US-Israeli forces would target.

He warned the Islamic Republic regime that “you will be living in hell”, and ended his note with a Muslim signature: “Praise be to Allah”.

In a separate post, Trump said he would hold a news conference on Monday in the Oval Office, after the US military rescued two pilots after Iran downed American aircraft in its airspace.

Trump Says 'Good Chance' Of Deal With Iran On Monday

WASHINGTON, April 5: US President Donald Trump said Sunday he believes there is a "good chance" of making a deal with Iran on Monday, ahead of his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face heavy bombing.

"I think there is a good chance tomorrow, they are negotiating now," the president told a Fox News journalist.

"If they don't make a deal and fast, I'm considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil," he added.

US F-15 jet crew member rescued from Iran

WASHINGTON, April 5: “Seriously wounded" and "really brave” is how US President Donald Trump described the American airman rescued from Iran on Sunday, two days after an F-15E fighter jet of the US military was shot down in the ongoing war.

“He is a highly respected Colonel,” Trump further wrote in what was his second post on the matter.

The F-15E is a two-seater plane, and the pilot had already been rescued.

It was the weapons officer who was rescued on Sunday.

Trump in his post said the officer was rescued “from deep inside the mountains of Iran”. He claimed the Iranian forces was “looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close”.

“This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to 'man and equipment.' It just doesn’t happen!” Trump further claimed.

He also gave a slight insight into how the pilot was rescued on Friday.

“The second raid [to rescue the weapons officer] came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran,” he wrote, and announced he would hold a press conference on Monday. He described the rescue ops as an “amazing show of bravery and talent by all”.

It was not clear where the pilot was now, but the weapons officer — whom Trump identified only as "a highly respected Colonel" in his first post on Sunday — has been flown to Kuwait for medical treatment where the US has a military base.

"He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine," Trump wrote earlier in the day, while his second post said the injuries are serious.

His exact identity has not been disclosed by US authorities, nor has any information been released about the pilot who was rescued first, on Friday, shortly after the aircraft was downed.

US special forces conducted the rescue mission for the colonel using "a specialized commando unit with a high volume of air cover", according to three US officials who spoke to Axios.

At least two US transport aircraft malfunctioned at a staging base inside Iran during the operation; commanders flew in three replacement aircraft, extracted all personnel, and destroyed the disabled planes on the ground to prevent them from falling into enemy hands, as per US officials.

The Navy SEAL Team Six — the unit that conducted Operation Neptune Spear, killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in 2011 — carried out the extraction, supported by US Air Force special warfare personnel and multiple layers of combat air cover.

When the F-15E was struck, the colonel ejected and landed in mountainous terrain in southwestern Iran. Following standard SERE — Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape — training, his first move was to distance himself from the wreckage, which enemy forces would target first.

He then climbed a ridgeline rising to 7,000 feet, taking cover in a mountain crevice. A senior American military official told the New York Times that the terrain made this “one of the most challenging rescues in US special operations history”.

The colonel had a handgun, survival rations, a beacon, and a secure communications device, and used the beacon sparingly, knowing Iranian forces could track the same signal.

Before the Pentagon moved in, the US spy agency CIA ran a parallel deception operation, "spreading word inside Iran that US forces had already found him and were moving him on the ground for exfiltration," a senior Trump administration official told CBS News. While Iranian forces scrambled in confusion, the CIA used what a senior official described to Axios as "unique capabilities" to locate the colonel inside his mountain crevice.

His exact coordinates were then passed to the Pentagon and the White House.

"This was the ultimate needle in a haystack," the official told Axios, "but in this case it was a brave American soul inside a mountain crevice, invisible but for CIA's capabilities."

Iran's IRGC spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari dismissed American triumphalism.

"Trump tries to justify the bitter defeat of his feeble army by creating confusion for public opinion," he said, according to reports.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards also claimed to have shot down two C-130 transport aircraft involved in the operation, as well as striking two Black Hawk helicopters in the initial hours of the search — claims the US has not confirmed.

‘We sent guns to Iranian protestors, I think Kurds took them’: Trump's claim on Iran's anti-regime demonstrations

WASHINGTON, April 5: President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that the US provided guns to the anti-regime protestors in Iran, adding that the “Kurds took the guns”.

We sent them a lot of guns. We sent them through the Kurds. And I think the Kurds kept them," Trump told Fox News over a telephonic interview.

"We sent guns to the protesters, a lot of them. And I think the Kurds took the guns," he added.

The US President was referring to the Kurd community, a roughly 30-million community among the largest stateless ethnic groups in the world living in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. They speak their own language, with several dialects, and most are Sunni Muslims. Several of the Kurdish militant groups have been designated terrorist organisations in Iran.

Trump also claimed that the Iranian regime “slaughtered” 45,000 people during the anti-regime protests. There has been no official figure from Iran on the casualties during the demonstrations, with some activists claiming it to be 7,000 while other reports suggesting as high as 30,000.

During the ongoing war against Iran, Trump had expressed hope over a possible Kurdish offensive against Iran even as the US, along with Israel, continued its attack against the country.

“I think it’s wonderful that they want to do that, I’d be all for it,” the US president said on the prospects of a Kurdish rebellion in Iran.

However, days later, Trump said that he did not want the Kurds to launch an offensive against Iran.

Last month, Qubad Talabani, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, while speaking to Channel 4 ruled out any possibility on the involvement in US-Iran war, saying “It's not our war.”

“We have been in too many wars…They (US) have not asked us for any assistance related to pushing or allowing Iranian opposition groups to enter Iran from Kurdistan,” Talabani said.

There are roughly 9 million Kurds in Iran. While, several of Kurdish rebels groups have been designated terrorist organisations by Tehran, many have largely refrained from armed activity in recent years under political pressure mostly from their Iraqi hosts.

However, since the Middle East war, Tehran has repeatedly struck Kurdish militants' positions in Iraq, accusing them of serving Western or Israeli interests.

Trump says Iran has 48 hours to make deal or U.S. will unleash 'Hell'

WASHINGTON, April 4: US President Donald Trump warned Iran that it has a mere 48 hours before facing severe consequences. He reminded the Islamic Republic that it had 10 days to either "make a deal" or "open up the Hormuz Strait" on March 26. However, with just two days remaining, he said, "time is running out".

"Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!", he wrote on Truth Social.

On March 26, Trump claimed that he had pushed back his deadline for Tehran to strike a deal with Washington or face more attacks at Iran's request, even though the Islamic Republic has dismissed a US proposal to end the conflict as "one-sided and unfair."

Trump said Iran had sought a seven-day pause on American strikes targeting its energy infrastructure, but he decided to extend the window to 10 days, pushing the deadline to April 6.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said officials in Tehran had approached his administration, requesting more time as part of the ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two sides, amid war in the Middle East. "They said to me very nicely, through my people, 'Could we have more time?' Because we're talking about tomorrow night, which is pretty quick, and if they don't do what they have to do, I will knock out their power plants," Trump said.

"They asked for seven, and I said, 'I'm going to give you 10,' because they gave me ships,' he added.

U.S. fighter jet shot down in Iran: One crew member rescued, search for other ongoing

WASHINGTON, April 3: One of two crew members of a U.S. fighter jet that was shot down over Iran was located and rescued by U.S. special forces, and the search for the second is ongoing, an Israeli official and a second source with knowledge of the situation told Axios.

Iran is also hunting for the crew and has asked civilians in the area to join the search, offering a reward if they're found.

Israel is helping the U.S. with intelligence in order to locate the other crew member, the Israeli official said.

The two crew members of the F-15 fighter jet ejected safely after being struck by Iranian fire, the sources said.

U.S. special forces located one of the crew members and rescued him, alive, on Iranian territory.

An Israeli official said Israel cancelled planned strikes in Iran so as not to hamper the search and rescue efforts.

Iranian media was first to report that a jet had been shot down. State TV told Iranians that anyone who located the U.S. troops would be rewarded by the government.

This is the first time since the beginning of the war that a U.S. jet was downed by enemy fire.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios "the President has been briefed."

Pak-Led Ceasefire Efforts Collapse As Iran Rejects 'Unacceptable' US Demands: Report

NEW YORK, April 3: Regional mediation efforts to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have reached a dead end, mediators said on Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The push, led by Pakistan, has failed to yield a breakthrough, with Tehran formally notifying mediators that it is unwilling to send officials to Islamabad for talks in the coming days.

Iran has also stressed that it finds Washington's demands unacceptable, effectively closing off the current framework for negotiations.

The breakdown has left diplomatic efforts in limbo, prompting Turkey and Egypt to look beyond Islamabad for solutions. The two countries are now exploring alternative venues to host the talks, with Qatar and Istanbul emerging as the leading candidates to salvage what remains of the ceasefire push.

The United States and Iran have been in talks about a possible deal that would trade a ceasefire in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by Axios.

The report also mentioned that Trump spoke about a possible ceasefire with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over a call on Wednesday.

In a post on Truth Social the same day, Trump claimed that Iran's president wants a ceasefire and said that it would only happen when the Strait of Hormuz is "open, free, and clear."

"We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are bombarding Iran to the point of destruction, or as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!", Trump wrote.

However, a spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry labelled the claim "false and baseless."

Trump Says 'Will Bring Iran Back To Stone Ages'; To Hit 'Extremely Hard'

WASHINGTON, April 2: US President Donald Trump has claimed victory over the US-Israeli war against Iran, claiming US military action has destroyed Tehran's military prowess and will 'finish the job' very soon, as 'core strategic objectives are nearing completion'.

Addressing the nation about his plans in the Middle East, the commander-in-chief said US forces will hit Iran 'extremely hard' for the next two to three weeks and again threatened Iranian power plants.

Trump also urged other nations, including US allies, to show 'courage' and 'take care' of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway under Iran's chokehold.

The US president said it had been "just one month since the United States military began Operation Epic Fury targeting the world's number one state sponsor of terror, Iran", claiming rapid battlefield gains.

"Tonight, Iran's navy is gone, their air force is in ruins, their leaders, most of them... are now dead. Their command and control of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is being decimated as we speak, their ability to launch missiles and drones is dramatically curtailed, and their weapons, factories, and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces," he said.

"Our enemies are losing--and America, as it has been for five years under my presidency, is winning, and now, winning bigger than ever before."

Trump said US objectives were to "systematically dismantle the regime's ability to threaten America or project power outside of their borders".

"Tonight I am pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion," he said, declaring the US is "nearing completion" of its various military objectives and vows to "finish the job very fast". Trump also vowed to not let Middle East allies, including Israel, "get hurt" in the war or fail.

He warned of further escalation if negotiations fail.

"Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong," he said, adding that US forces would meet all their battlefield goals "very, very shortly." He also said that the US could target Iran's electric infrastructure if no agreement is reached.

Trump stated that regime change in Iran was not the stated goal of the war and suggested leadership shifts had already taken place. "Regime change was not our goal... but regime change has occurred because of all of their original leaders' deaths," he said.

The US president explained the war against Iran was "necessary for the safety of America" and the world. Listing several attacks carried out by Iran or its proxies over the years, Trump called the Islamic regime running the country "thuggish and murderous", also pointing to a recent crackdown on protest in the country which killed thousands of citizens.

He said leaders like that cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

"From the very first day I announced my campaign, I have vowed that I would never allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. This fanatical regime has been chanting "Death to America" for 47 years -- and it should have been handled long before I arrived in office," he said.

He also talked about the so-called steps he's taken against Iran, such as the killing of Qasem Soleimani and his termination of Barack Obama's Iran nuclear deal. "Essentially, I did what no other president was willing to do -- they made mistakes, and I am correcting them."

"My first preference was always the path of diplomacy. Yet, the regime continued their relentless quest for nuclear weapons and rejected every attempt at an agreement,' he claimed.

Referring to earlier US strikes, he said, “We totally obliterated those nuclear sites,” citing “Operation Midnight Hammer,” and claimed Iran had attempted to rebuild its programme elsewhere.

He said Tehran was fast developing longer-range missiles and was "right at the doorstep" of developing a nuclear weapon.

A nuclear Iran was an 'intolerable threat', he added.

Trump blamed Iran for recent increases in global oil prices, saying they were caused by "deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers." He urged countries dependent on Middle Eastern oil to secure shipping routes and reduce reliance on the region.

He also praised regional allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain, saying they had been "great" partners in the campaign.

Trump also highlighted US economic resilience, saying the country was the "number one producer of oil and gas on the planet" and could absorb disruptions linked to the conflict.

Trump Reiterates Short Iran Exit Timeline, Says Could Return For 'Spot Hits'

WASHINGTON, April 1: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US will be "out of Iran pretty quickly" and could return for "spot hits" if needed. He also reiterated that he is "absolutely" considering an attempt to withdraw the US from NATO.

Answering when the US would consider the Iran war over, Trump said "I can't tell you exactly .... we're going to be out pretty quickly."

Trump said that US action in the region has ensured that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. "They won't have a nuclear weapon because they are ​incapable of that now, and then ​I'll ⁠leave, and I'll take everybody with me, and if we have to we'll ⁠come ​back to do spot hits," ​Trump said.

The Republican leader's comments come hours before his address to Americans on the state of war.

Earlier in the day, Trump said that Iran's president, whom he called "much less radicalised" and "far more intelligent" than his predecessors, wants a ceasefire. He claimed that a ceasefire would only happen when the Strait of Hormuz is "open, free, clear".

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addressed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and said that the waterway lied within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman and was subject to strategic use.

"Only for the ships of those who are at war with us, this strait is closed. That is normal during war – we cannot let our enemies use our territorial waters for commerce," he told Press TV.

He said that a few countries had negotiated with Iran on the use of the Hormuz Strait, and other ships have decided not to use it because of high insurance prices and security concerns.

Speaking earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signalled Tehran's willingness to keep fighting. “You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said. “We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.”

Trump ‘considering pulling out of NATO’ after setback from allies in Iran war: Report

WASHINGTON, April 1: The United States' war against Iran has exposed several fractures in the US over domestic support to an overseas war and also put to test allies and their allegiances in the ongoing conflict, now in its second month.

After a series of rebukes from European allies over support to US and its operations in the Middle East, Trump has now professed a 'dangerous idea', one that has more global ramifications than US-Europe relations: a possible exit from NATO, a military bloc that was once formed by US as its founding member.

In an interview with The Telegraph, US President Trump said he is strongly considering pulling the US out of the military bloc after it failed to join the war against Iran.

The recent remark comes after Trump's several outbursts against NATO countries, saying NATO nations have done "absolutely nothing" to help with Iran and that he needs "no help from NATO".

The US President labelled the alliance a “paper tiger” even as he said that walking out of the treaty was now “beyond reconsideration”.

When asked if he would reconsider the US’s membership of NATO after the Iran War, he said, “Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.”

Trump's anguish with NATO countries stem from a range of setbacks from his allies in the West, especially amid developments after February 28.

When Trump called European nations and their warships to join US efforts in ending US blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, not even one country replied in the affirmative.

Over the weeks, Switzerland denied airspace to US warplanes fighting against Iran, while Spain condemned the US war in Iran, in strongest word in a series of statements and public remarks. Italy has also denied permission to US aircraft seeking to land at bases in Sicily.

France has allowed the use of its bases for support functions like refuelling, but refused to permit operations linked to offensive strikes.

In light of these developments, Trump's remark is a fresh evidence of Europe drifting away from the US, a trend that started with disagreements over aid to Ukraine against Russia and latest with the war in Iran.