Trump points to obstacles blocking Iran deal
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump stated that the leaders of Iran have not yet reached an agreement with Washington because they are strong and proud, according to his interview with NBC News.
"They’re strong, they’re proud, there are things they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do. They’ve got no choice, and it takes a little while," Trump said.
He also criticized those who are urging him to reach a deal with Iran as quickly as possible to end the war. According to the US president, he is moving more quickly than during the Vietnam War.
"I’m moving very fast. I’m into three months. You know, Vietnam lasted 19 years. I’m into my third month, and all they do is say, ‘Whoa, when are you going to win?’ If I were a Democrat, nobody would be talking that way, but it doesn’t matter to me. I’ve gotten so used to it," says the White House chief.
Trump added that, in the course of this conflict, the US has completely destroyed the Iranian army. At the same time, he noted that Iran still has some missiles and drones.
"Most of the drone factories have been knocked out, most of the launching pads have been knocked out, and most of the missile manufacturing areas have been knocked out. But they still have capacity. They have some missiles, they have some drones. I would say percentagewise, maybe 21%-22% of their missiles. It’s a lot of missiles, but it’s not what it was when we first attacked," the US leader said.
The White House chief also suggested that a deal with Iranian leaders might not happen, stating that he will have to make a decision.
US-Iran agreement
The US and Iran are still negotiating a memorandum of understanding that provides for an extension of the ceasefire and a period of approximately 30 to 60 days to finalize a peace agreement.
The nuclear issue would be addressed during this 60-day period, but it recently became known that Donald Trump is demanding concrete commitments on the nuclear program already within the framework of the preliminary agreement.
The adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Mohsen Rezaei, said in an interview with CNN that negotiations with the US have reached a dead end over $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
