What happened
President Donald Trump said in a CNN interview that renewed U.S. military strikes against Iran are highly unlikely if negotiations produce a strong agreement. He added that he would authorize further military action if needed.
Trump cited heavy losses to Iran’s military, economic pressure from U.S. sanctions, and a naval blockade as reasons he expects Tehran to reach a deal without additional major strikes. He said American strikes had destroyed Iran’s air defenses and severely crippled missile and drone production, estimating that missile output had fallen to roughly ten percent of previous capacity and drone production to about 15 percent.
The president said a third U.S. aircraft carrier had arrived in the region and that all three carriers were fully ready. He warned that American forces could destroy dozens of Iranian bridges within an hour but said he wanted to avoid such destruction because rebuilding could take a decade. He also said another major offensive could leave Iran facing 10 to 15 years of reconstruction, particularly at power plants.
Trump said Washington and Tehran had been close to an agreement before last week’s midterm elections and that he still expected a deal. He stood by his decision to launch the military campaign against Iran, saying preventing the regime from obtaining nuclear weapons outweighed political consequences.
U.S. Central Command announced the establishment of Task Force Iron Gate, targeting weapons, restricted technology, and illicit financial flows through Iran’s land routes. Trump said the operation and the naval blockade were choking off Iran’s remaining supply routes.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations remained far from a breakthrough and dismissed Tehran’s demands as unrealistic. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said regional mediators had suspended travel after the U.S. midterm elections and reiterated a two-day proposal calling for an end to hostilities on all fronts.
