US President Donald Trump made clear that he is not seeking to reach an agreement with Iran to end the armed conflict.
“I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement,” the US leader said on Truth Social.
“I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing,” Trump added. “They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”
Trump’s remarks come amid the latest escalation in the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, which began on February 28 when Washington and Jerusalem launched military operations against Tehran. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
However, on the night of July 8, the United States resumed large-scale strikes on Iran, accusing Tehran of violating the terms of the agreement concerning the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway carries approximately 25% of global oil trade and around 20% of liquefied natural gas shipments.
In late August, the US administration effectively signalled that it was ending the use of large-scale military force against Iran and shifting toward an attempt to economically strangle the country through sanctions.
By Jeyhun Aghazada
