Trump: Decision Regarding Iran Still Allows for Escalation or De-escalation
US President Trump clarifies that the decision regarding Iran allows for either escalation or de-escalation, while Masoud Pezeshkian warns of renewed fighting. The US targeted an air defense facility in Iran, and Qatar continues mediation efforts.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
- Beshkian believes that renewed fighting will not benefit anyone
- “Kayhan”: US facilities in European countries could be targets for Iranian missiles
Washington, Tehran, Dubai – AFP, Reuters – US President Donald Trump stated that the decision regarding Tehran still allows for either escalation or de-escalation, confirming that the United States targeted an air defense facility in Iran, “which wishes to reach a settlement as soon as possible,” while his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Beshkian, warned that renewed fighting would not serve anyone’s interests.
Amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to avoid further escalation, Qatar announced that “there is still commitment to the negotiation path by both sides, and we are exchanging proposals in real time,” while a high-level source told “Al Arabiya – Al Hadath” that the United States had informed the Qatari mediator of its approval of the proposed offer. Mediators are awaiting Iran’s response, without disclosing further details regarding its content or the expected timeline for the reply.
He added, “We can eliminate them, meaning the Iranians, or we can show tolerance and allow thousands of people who would have been killed in the war to remain alive... We will see. I am not seeking to kill large numbers of people, but if we are forced to do so, we will. However, I am not seeking that.”
He said, “Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. They are the most ruthless, and they are very strong. I understand why Middle Eastern countries feared them. They are very strong, but their leadership has been decapitated.”
He continued, “They had 159 ships, which were hit by missiles. Every ship ended up at the bottom of the sea. They had 288 aircraft, and each one was reduced to very small pieces scattered across Iranian runways. They no longer have aircraft or air defenses. We destroyed some of them last night (before) with a limited strike (on Qeshm Island); it was not a war. They had built an air defense facility that took about two months to construct, and we were monitoring its construction. As soon as it was completed, we bombed it with great precision.”
For his part, Vice President JD Vance stated, “The President and I feel a degree of optimism regarding the chances of reaching a settlement through negotiation,” adding, “We have already made some progress, and we will see if we can achieve more.”
On the ground, US strikes on the night of Monday-Tuesday targeted Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz. The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and CNN cited unnamed US officials stating that the attacks were defensive, while the Israeli military denied its involvement.
Meanwhile, Beshkian emphasized that “no one will benefit from this war,” pointing to efforts to resolve the situation “through dialogue.”
In Doha, Majid Al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced developments in the talks.
He stressed that Doha still hopes for the possibility of reaching a diplomatic settlement, stating that “the continued engagement of both sides in negotiations and the examination of proposals means that the chance of an agreement still exists.”
He clarified that the Qatari mediation delegation that visited Tehran returned to Doha on Monday evening, and that communications continued after its return.
Conversely, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran and Washington are still far from reaching an agreement to end the war.
The official stressed that “Tehran’s conditions must be met if the United States wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that nuclear talks could only begin afterward.
Another Iranian official told Reuters that there is no deadline for exchanging messages with Washington through mediators to study responses.
For his part, Chief of the General Staff Ali Abdollahi said that the military is working on updating target lists that include American and Israeli assets, and will respond immediately to any threat. The hardline Kiyhan newspaper reported that US facilities in Britain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Albania, and Cyprus could be targeted by Iranian missiles in the event of a renewed war.
