US President Donald Trump commented on the protracted negotiations with Tehran, attributing the lack of a final deal to the nature of the Iranian leadership. According to him, Iranian leaders are 'strong' and 'proud', which makes them unwilling to accept terms they previously deemed unacceptable.
In an interview with NBC News, the White House chief stated that the Iranian side simply has no choice and that it will take time to reach a final decision. Trump also responded harshly to critics demanding an immediate end to the conflict. He compared the current pace of peacemaking to the Vietnam War, which lasted 19 years, and emphasized that significant results have already been achieved in just three months of his administration.
Scale of the Iranian army's defeat
Assessing the military situation, Donald Trump stated that the United States has 'completely destroyed' the Iranian army during the conflict. He provided specific figures regarding the state of the enemy's missile arsenal:
- Most drone production plants have been destroyed.
- The majority of launch sites have been destroyed.
- Missile production facilities have been disabled.
Nevertheless, the US President acknowledged that Iran retains combat capabilities. According to Trump's estimates, Tehran has preserved approximately 21–22% of its missile arsenal and a portion of its drones. He noted that while this is 'a lot of missiles', it is incomparable to the potential Iran had at the start of the attacks.
Risk of deal collapse and new demands
Trump admitted that a diplomatic deal with Iranian leaders might not materialize, in which case he would have to make his own 'decision'. Currently, the US and Iran are negotiating the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The document is intended to provide for an extension of the ceasefire and a 30 to 60-day delay to agree on final peace terms.
Particular attention in the negotiations is being paid to the nuclear program. Initially, this issue was planned to be considered within a 60-day timeframe, however, the situation has changed: Donald Trump is demanding specific commitments from Tehran regarding the nuclear program already within the framework of the preliminary deal.
For his part, advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran Mohsen Rezaei stated in an interview with CNN that negotiations have reached a deadlock. According to him, the key obstacle remains the $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.