U.S. President Donald Trump has said he has yet to decide how to handle Iran — whether to launch a new strike or wait for Tehran to move toward a deal to end the war. He also insisted that the war with Iran will end soon.
"We have to make that decision — either blow them up or make a deal. But the time has come. It will end very soon," the White House chief said.
Iran, for its part, has said it has conveyed its conditions for ending the war to the U.S. and is awaiting a response. The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Major General Mohsen Rezaei, said yesterday that President Donald Trump is unable to make a decision. "Trump has found himself in a swamp where he can neither negotiate nor fight," he said.
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also said that American forces have "destroyed" Iran's naval forces, air force, defense systems, leadership and military-industrial capabilities.
Speaking at a gathering of military commanders at the Quantico Marine Corps Base near Washington, Hegseth said U.S. troops had knocked out Iran's non-nuclear military capabilities and nuclear ambitions.
"The Americans here and their partners have destroyed Iran's fleet, Iran's air force, their defense system, their leadership and their military-industrial power, their entire defense area," he said.
"Iran's conventional defense has been crippled, and its nuclear aspirations have been destroyed and exposed to the world. You — this group — are ensuring that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon," he added.
Hegseth also said the Pentagon has made a "clear break" with its past, focusing on its "sole mission" — combat operations.
Trump's latest statement shows that Washington has still not found its bearings on Iran while insisting the war will end soon. This is an unusual situation: the president speaks openly about two extreme options — a new strike and a deal — leaving the future of relations with Tehran uncertain.
Rezaei's response from Iran suggests that Tehran is trying to apply pressure by emphasizing that Trump is unable to make a decision. At the same time, Hegseth's statements show that the U.S. is ready to present its military achievements as leverage in negotiations.
The question arises whether the conditions conveyed by Iran will become the basis for negotiations or are merely a means of buying time. The Pentagon's decision to focus on its "sole mission" is also a serious signal — it could mean the U.S. is preparing for a longer-term military presence in the region.
