“If Iran does not give up nuclear weapons, there is no deal,” Trump said.
By United with Israel Staff
The Pentagon is sending thousands of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East in the coming days as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Iran and weighs further military action if a fragile ceasefire collapses, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The deployment includes roughly 6,000 personnel aboard the USS George H.W. Bush and its accompanying warships, along with about 4,200 Marines expected to arrive later this month.
Two senior U.S. officials told the newspaper the move reflects contingency planning for a possible ground incursion into Iran if diplomatic efforts fail.
Speaking on Fox News, President Trump said the United States and Iran may be nearing a long-term ceasefire agreement that could bring the conflict to an end.
“I think the war is close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over,” Trump said.
He pointed to what he described as significant U.S. military achievements during the fighting, saying Iran has sustained heavy damage.
“If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country,” he said. “And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly.”
In the interview that aired Wednesday morning, Trump said Iran would already have nuclear weapons if not for U.S. intervention and insisted Tehran must abandon its nuclear ambitions for any agreement to move forward.
“If Iran does not give up nuclear weapons, there is no deal,” he said. “We can take out every one of their bridges in one hour; we can take out every one of their power plants in one hour.”
Iran, for its part, warned that continued U.S. naval pressure could trigger a sharp escalation. Iranian officials said that if Washington maintains its blockade and targets Iranian shipping, Tehran would treat it as a violation of the ceasefire and move to halt trade across the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea, vowing a forceful response.
The war of words and movement of forces come as Trump also signaled the possibility of renewed talks in Pakistan in the coming days, after the previous round of negotiations collapsed last weekend.
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