Trump praises 'progress of negotiations' and does not rush for a military strike
The US has destroyed a large part of Iran's military capabilities, while negotiations continue in Doha.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Washington, Tehran, Doha – AFP, Reuters – US President Donald Trump affirmed that the United States had destroyed a significant portion of Iran’s military capabilities, but that it still needed to “deal with” one or two targets. Meanwhile, a report by The Wall Street Journal revealed that Trump made a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday morning, according to individuals familiar with the call.
Trump said on Saturday night that negotiations with Iran to end the war were “going well, but as you know, they are not entirely trustworthy.”
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Florida, he said, “We have destroyed their nuclear capabilities. We still have one or two sites to deal with, but we can accomplish that within 10 minutes,” referring to the “Axe Mountain” facility located in Isfahan province.
In response, Iranian military spokesperson Major General Mohammad Akbari warned that “any future war could last longer than the previous one, and the US president will not be in a position to dictate its end date or the terms of its conclusion.”
Diplomatically, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Iranian negotiators had been in Doha for the third consecutive day, holding talks with Qatari mediators in an effort to reach an agreement to end the war.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that the purpose of the “progressing” talks was to continue consultations with Qatari mediators, adding that Tehran was prepared to engage in both “defense and diplomacy.”
State media reported that discussions regarding the “two-day proposal” were ongoing, but no final outcome had been reached yet.
Al Jazeera quoted Araghchi on Saturday as saying that Iranian and Qatari negotiators had put forward a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days of reaching a potential agreement with Washington.
Araghchi said yesterday regarding the talks with Qatari officials, “We are doing our utmost in this process, and we hope the other side will exercise rationality, prioritizing diplomacy over other means.”
