Trump: Iran must 'raise the white flag' and will not possess a nuclear weapon 'in any way whatsoever'

Washington – Agencies: US President Donald Trump stated that Iran must “raise the white flag and declare surrender,” asserting that Tehran is “breathing its last breath” and emphasizing that it cannot possess a nuclear weapon “in any form.”

Following the expiration of the 60-day truce outlined in the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed last June, President Trump told Fox News yesterday that Iran must “raise the white flag and declare surrender,” describing the Iranian side as “a good gambler but one who is breathing its last breath.”

Trump added that he is not in a hurry regarding Iran and is not operating on a fixed timeline, revealing the existence of a backchannel communication line with officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. He noted that the US naval blockade continues to impose new economic pressures on the Iranian regime, while affirming that the midterm congressional elections scheduled for November next year do not influence his thinking on the Iranian file at all.

Trump continued, “We have a large arsenal of medium-range weapons that can be used in the future if necessary,” adding that “the US stockpile of weapons used so far is negligible.”

On another note, the US President stressed that “Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon in any form.” Trump wrote in a post on his official account on his social media platform, Truth Social: “The first goal, and it will always remain so, is to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon in any form. Thank you for your interest in this matter.”

For its part, the US Department of Defense, known as the Pentagon, announced that it had signed a contract worth approximately $23 billion with US company Raytheon to accelerate the production of Tomahawk missiles. It added: “We have invited arms manufacturers to expand ammunition production,” noting that “the Tomahawk missile production contract enhances our ability to equip various branches of our military, ensures permanent combat superiority for our forces, and rapidly provides the capabilities needed to counter modern threats.”

The acting US Secretary of the Navy stated that “ensuring our forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is of paramount importance.” He added: “We are using every available tool to meet the requirements of our current operations, ensuring that our soldiers are equipped to fight, achieve victory, and return home safely.”

Meanwhile, the US channel MSNBN reported, citing an unnamed Pakistani government official, that negotiations between Washington and Tehran are still ongoing with the aim of opening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war.

For its part, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the memorandum of understanding with the United States does not stipulate a 60-day deadline. Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said during his press conference yesterday that “the Islamabad memorandum of understanding does not include what is called a 60-day deadline.”

Baghaei added: “Iran does not make its decisions based on matters such as warnings or fixed deadlines. It was scheduled that we would negotiate within 60 days on issues including the nuclear file, but in light of the US violation of the memorandum of understanding, the issue of the 60-day deadline is no longer valid.”

He continued: “Due to the blatant and widespread violation of the memorandum of understanding signed on June 18 by the United States,” no talks have begun in the weeks following its signing, and thus the issue of the 60-day deadline has lost its relevance entirely.

On another note, Baghaei said, “We have continuous communications with Qatar, which plays an influential role in current de-escalation efforts.”

He noted that talks with the Sultanate of Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz have been long-standing due to the complexity of the issue, adding that the prolonged nature of talks with Muscat is due to the multiplicity of stakeholders and the efforts of some parties to undermine the process.