Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said he is not interested in negotiating with Iran and suggested the war could end only when Tehran no longer has a functioning military or remaining leadership. He spoke as the conflict entered its second week and renewed strikes were reported across the region.
Trump comments on negotiations and war aims
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said the air campaign could make negotiations a moot point if all potential leaders of Iran are killed and the Iranian military is destroyed. “At some point, I don’t think there will be anybody left maybe to say ‘We surrender,’” Trump said.
Renewed strikes and regional fallout
Israel said it had initiated fresh strikes across Iran on Sunday. A huge fire also engulfed a government office block in Kuwait hit by drones, as the war brought chaos to the Middle East and roiled global oil markets.
U.S. justification and uranium security discussions
Trump has justified the attack by saying Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, without providing evidence, and was getting too close to being able to build a nuclear weapon. The U.S. and Israel have discussed sending special forces into Iran to secure its stockpile of highly enriched uranium at a later stage of the war, Axios reported, citing four people with knowledge of the discussions, and the White House did not immediately comment.
Iranian president apologizes to neighbors, faces criticism at home
Iran’s president apologized to neighboring states for its attacks on U.S. facilities in those countries, in an attempt to cool anger across the Gulf, but stirred criticism from hardliners at home. “I personally apologize to neighboring countries that were affected by Iran’s actions,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, urging them not to join U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Pezeshkian dismissed Trump’s demand for the Islamic Republic’s unconditional surrender as “a dream,” but said its temporary leadership council had agreed to suspend attacks on nearby states unless strikes on Iran originated from their territory. His comments prompted his office to reiterate Iran’s military would respond firmly to attacks from U.S. bases.
How do you think the positions stated by Trump and Pezeshkian could affect prospects for de-escalation in the region?