Trump: Iran Desperately Seeks Deal but Refuses to Admit It Publicly

(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump declared Wednesday that Iran is actively seeking negotiations amid an ongoing American military operation, even as Tehran refuses to admit it publicly — out of fear for its own survival.

Speaking before a packed crowd at the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual fundraising dinner, Trump claimed Iranian leadership privately wants a resolution but is paralyzed by the domestic consequences of saying so openly.

"They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they're afraid to say it, because they figure they'll be killed by their own people. They're also afraid they'll be killed by us," he said.

Trump went further, mocking the prospect of leading Iran, joking that no world leader has ever wanted a position less.

"I don't want it. Well, listen to some of the things they say. We hear very clearly they say...'We would like to make you the next Supreme Leader.' No thank you. I don't want it," he added.

'Military Decimation' — Not War
Deliberately sidestepping the word "war," Trump framed the campaign in careful but pointed language, explaining the political reasoning behind his word choice.

"I won't use the word 'war' because they say, 'If you use the word war, that's maybe not a good thing to do.' They don't like the word war because you're supposed to get approval. So I'll use the word 'military operation,' which is really what it is. It's called a military decimation," he added.

He also described the campaign as an "excursion into hell, (an) excursion into a terrible place," and dismissed concerns over surging oil and energy prices, calling them temporary side effects of a necessary intervention.

"What we had to do is get rid of the cancer. We had to cut out the cancer. The cancer was Iran with a nuclear weapon, and we've cut it out. Now we're going to finish it off," he added.

100 Missiles Intercepted, Trump Claims
Praising the performance of U.S. armed forces, Trump boasted of a large-scale Iranian missile salvo that he said was completely neutralized.

"We had an attack. 100 missiles were shot by Iran at a very important thing that we had. I won't tell you what it was for certain reasons. 100 missiles going 2,000 miles an hour were coming at this element of importance, tremendous power and importance. And of the 100 missiles coming at us, 100 missiles were immediately shot down...We have the greatest military. We make the greatest military equipment," he added.

Mounting Casualties Since February
Regional hostilities have spiraled sharply since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched a coordinated strike against Iran — an offensive that has claimed more than 1,340 lives to date, among them then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In retaliation, Iran has unleashed successive waves of drone and missile strikes against Israel and Gulf states hosting U.S. military installations.

Since the operation's launch, 13 American service members have been killed and approximately 290 others wounded.

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