'We have wiped every single force in Iran out very completely', Trump claims

US President Donald Trump held a news conference at his golf club in Florida as the war with Iran entered its second week, with global attention focused on rising oil prices and major political developments inside Iran. Oil markets have surged sharply since the conflict began, adding to economic uncertainty worldwide. Meanwhile, Iran has appointed Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader.

Earlier in the day, Trump described the conflict as “very complete” during an interview with CBS News. According to Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, Trump also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation in Iran and other international matters. Speaking on Monday, Trump said the United States had made significant progress in the conflict and suggested the mission could be nearing completion. “We’re achieving major strides toward completing our military objective, and some people could say they’re pretty well complete,” he said during a press conference. “We’ve wiped every single force in Iran out very completely.”

US has hit more than 5000 targets across Iran: Trump

However, the president has recently offered mixed signals about the duration of the campaign. During a speech to House Republicans shortly before the press conference, Trump described the operation as a “short-term excursion.” Later, he struck a more determined tone, pledging to “go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory.” Trump also claimed the US military had carried out extensive strikes since the conflict began. “If we hit them, it’s going to take many years for them to be rebuilt, having to do with electricity production and many other things,” he said. The president said the United States has struck more than 5,000 targets across Iran, noting that several critical targets remain untouched for now.

Also Read: 'They better not try anything cute': US President Donald Trump claims Iran war 'very complete'

“If we hit them, it’s going to take many years for them to be rebuilt, having to do with electricity production and many other things,” he continued. During the remarks, Trump reiterated that US objectives in Iran are “pretty well complete.”

He also revealed new details about prior diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran earlier this year. Trump said his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner held three rounds of negotiations with Iranian officials, with Oman serving as mediator.

Despite those discussions, the talks ultimately failed to produce an agreement. “Despite these countless opportunities to renounce their nuclear ambitions, which they had just a short while ago, they told Mr. Witkoff … they actually said, ‘We want to keep building,’” Trump told reporters in Doral, Florida. “Essentially, in a real nutshell, ‘We want to continue to build nuclear weapons,’” he added. Trump also argued that US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last summer prevented a far more dangerous scenario. “They would have had a nuclear weapon, they would have used it long before now, and at a minimum, Israel would have been annihilated.”

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