US President Donald Trump said the United States could end its military involvement in Iran immediately but would not do so without guarantees that Tehran would never acquire nuclear weapons, even as he suggested the seven-month conflict could soon come to an end.
Trump made the remarks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday night after returning from a campaign rally in Tennessee, according to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).
'We have to guarantee that'
Asked why he would not declare victory after claiming that American military operations had prevented Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Trump said the United States needed to ensure the threat did not re-emerge. "Because I have to keep it that way. I don't want to do it in two years," he said. "We have to have a guarantee that they won't have it in the future."
The remarks followed an address in Clarksville, Tennessee, where Trump presented the military campaign against Iran as a major achievement of his administration while acknowledging the American lives lost during the conflict.
Claims on casualties and damage
Trump said the United States had been engaged in the conflict for nearly seven months, contrasting its duration and casualties with earlier American wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan. He claimed that 18 American personnel had been killed in the campaign and that the operations had stopped Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — "for all time," as he put it.
Trump also claimed that American military operations had destroyed much of Iran's conventional military capability, including its navy, air force, radar systems and manufacturing infrastructure. He said he had met families of fallen service members at Dover Air Force Base and described those encounters as among the most difficult responsibilities of his office.
Oil prices to 'drop like a rock'
The president suggested the conflict could end soon and that its conclusion would bring substantial relief to global energy markets. "The war's gonna end very soon, and when it ends, it's gonna end. You're gonna see the oil drop like a rock. You'll be very happy," he said.
All figures and claims in this article are those made by Trump as reported by IANS; they have not been independently verified.
Sources: IANS — Trump sets condition for ending Iran war
Trump made the remarks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Saturday night after returning from a campaign rally in Tennessee, according to the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).
'We have to guarantee that'
Asked why he would not declare victory after claiming that American military operations had prevented Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Trump said the United States needed to ensure the threat did not re-emerge. "Because I have to keep it that way. I don't want to do it in two years," he said. "We have to have a guarantee that they won't have it in the future."
The remarks followed an address in Clarksville, Tennessee, where Trump presented the military campaign against Iran as a major achievement of his administration while acknowledging the American lives lost during the conflict.
Claims on casualties and damage
Trump said the United States had been engaged in the conflict for nearly seven months, contrasting its duration and casualties with earlier American wars in Vietnam and Afghanistan. He claimed that 18 American personnel had been killed in the campaign and that the operations had stopped Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — "for all time," as he put it.
Trump also claimed that American military operations had destroyed much of Iran's conventional military capability, including its navy, air force, radar systems and manufacturing infrastructure. He said he had met families of fallen service members at Dover Air Force Base and described those encounters as among the most difficult responsibilities of his office.
Oil prices to 'drop like a rock'
The president suggested the conflict could end soon and that its conclusion would bring substantial relief to global energy markets. "The war's gonna end very soon, and when it ends, it's gonna end. You're gonna see the oil drop like a rock. You'll be very happy," he said.
All figures and claims in this article are those made by Trump as reported by IANS; they have not been independently verified.
Sources: IANS — Trump sets condition for ending Iran war
