President Donald Trump said Sunday that another round of major U.S. strikes against Iran is “highly unlikely” if Tehran advances a strong nuclear agreement and reopens the Strait of Hormuz. His diplomatic opening came with a blunt warning that American forces remain positioned to strike again.
“It depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,” Trump told CNN. He said military action probably would not be needed if negotiations continued making progress.
“The answer is highly unlikely it’s going to be necessary,” Trump said. “They’re a failing nation. It just came out, you saw this year, 301% inflation. Highly unlikely it will be necessary. I would if necessary, but we hit them really hard. I hit them so hard. You don’t know how hard I hit them.”
Trump said the United States had three aircraft carriers ready as the standoff continued. “We’re ready for it. I’ve got three aircraft carriers here. The other one just arrived. We have three. They’re fully locked and loaded,” he said.
The president also warned that 38 Iranian bridges could be destroyed within one hour. He said he did not want to order that action because rebuilding the bridges could take 10 years.
“We have 38 bridges in our sight that we can knock down in literally one hour,” Trump said. “They’ll all be down.”
Trump said the United States had conducted “minor strikes” against Iran’s Qeshm Island, but he rejected the notion that those attacks represented a return to full scale war. At the same time, his top advisers were divided over whether to resume strikes or continue negotiations, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Diplomatic activity continued across the Middle East, with Qatar mediating between Washington and Tehran. Trump was scheduled to meet Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Washington on Monday as Doha intensified its efforts.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations had produced little progress and rejected Iran’s conditions as unrealistic. “Right now, it hasn’t been very productive because the Iranian demands are simply not just unacceptable, but in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic,” Rubio said.
Rubio nevertheless said Trump remained willing to pursue a diplomatic settlement. “The president would always prefer to solve this and every problem diplomatically,” he said, adding that Washington would explore any genuine opportunity.
Trump also warned that the United States could strike Iranian nuclear facilities within five minutes if necessary. He said Washington had not seen Iran moving its enriched uranium, while U.S. Central Command offered a reward for information concerning any movement of stockpiles.
“If they are, we want to know about it and we’ll take them out,” Trump said. He cited Space Force surveillance and said the United States knew what was happening at Pickaxe Mountain.
Trump also defended Secretary of War Pete Hegseth against impeachment demands, crediting him with helping win two wars and dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Trump said those actions probably saved Israel and the wider Middle East from a broader conflict.
The administration also increased pressure on Iran’s supply networks. U.S. Central Command established Task Force Iron Gate, a team of roughly 20 people based in Tampa, Florida, to disrupt weapons, sanctioned materials and illicit revenue moving across Iran’s land borders and the Caspian Sea.
The U.S. Treasury Department asked Iraq to close all but two border crossings with Iran, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said. Hussein warned that closing the numerous official and unofficial crossings would be difficult and would damage Iraq’s economy.
Oil prices fell when markets opened Monday in Australia following Trump’s comments. Brent crude futures dropped 64 cents, or 0.64%, to $97.67 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude fell 35 cents, or 0.40%, to $90.51.
Elsewhere, a drone struck northern Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field, igniting a major fire and halting operations. Reports said the attack cut nearly 2,800 megawatts of electricity generation, while Iraqi and Kurdish authorities launched a joint investigation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Tehran’s forces would “rain down hell” if Washington rejected its diplomatic proposal and chose war. Iran submitted a nuclear proposal through Qatar on Thursday, while Trump maintained that a deal could prevent another major American attack.