No Deal Yet: Trump Says Iran Isn't Ready to Negotiate
(MENAFN) President Donald Trump said Friday he remains convinced that Iran is not prepared to strike "the right deal" with Washington, even as tightening economic pressure bears down on Tehran.
"They would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One en route to a rally in South Carolina.
Trump pushed back on the notion that ramping up economic measures signaled the US was running low on military options, saying Washington instead wants to gauge "what happens" as the pressure compounds an Iranian economy already battered by nearly six months of conflict with the US.
He painted a bleak picture of Iran's current state: "They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force, they are not paying their soldiers, they're not paying their police. They have 350% inflation," Trump said.
Trump also claimed the US holds "complete control" over the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, including the strategic waterway itself and the adjacent territory in southern Iran.
Shipping Traffic Still Crippled
That claim stands in contrast to conditions on the water: traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below prewar levels, hampered by persistent security threats and repeated attacks on commercial vessels moving through the region. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported Friday that transit through the strait sits roughly 90% below prewar volumes.
Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at halting hostilities and restoring shipping through the strait, but the agreement collapsed soon after amid persistent disputes over how it would be implemented and what future navigation through the waterway would look like.
The broader conflict erupted in late February, triggered by a surprise joint US-Israeli attack on Iran. Tehran retaliated by striking targets inside Israel as well as US military bases across the region.
"They would love to make a deal, but they're not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion," Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One en route to a rally in South Carolina.
Trump pushed back on the notion that ramping up economic measures signaled the US was running low on military options, saying Washington instead wants to gauge "what happens" as the pressure compounds an Iranian economy already battered by nearly six months of conflict with the US.
He painted a bleak picture of Iran's current state: "They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force, they are not paying their soldiers, they're not paying their police. They have 350% inflation," Trump said.
Trump also claimed the US holds "complete control" over the region surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, including the strategic waterway itself and the adjacent territory in southern Iran.
Shipping Traffic Still Crippled
That claim stands in contrast to conditions on the water: traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below prewar levels, hampered by persistent security threats and repeated attacks on commercial vessels moving through the region. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported Friday that transit through the strait sits roughly 90% below prewar volumes.
Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at halting hostilities and restoring shipping through the strait, but the agreement collapsed soon after amid persistent disputes over how it would be implemented and what future navigation through the waterway would look like.
The broader conflict erupted in late February, triggered by a surprise joint US-Israeli attack on Iran. Tehran retaliated by striking targets inside Israel as well as US military bases across the region.
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