US President Donald Trump said Washington was engaged in talks with Iran even as American forces continued military strikes, saying the administration was weighing two possible paths – sustained military action or a negotiated settlement.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after the 13th consecutive night of US strikes on Iranian targets, Trump said diplomatic channels remained open despite the ongoing conflict.
“I think there’s a lot of them,” Trump said when asked about his exit strategy. “There’s a military exit where we just keep going just the way we are, and we can even make it a heavier dose, and it’s knocking out everything. Or there’s a smarter strategy, and that’s you make a deal, and they want to make a deal. I just don’t think they’re ready yet, but they do want to make a deal.”
He said the US could intensify its military campaign if required but was also pursuing negotiations.
“You can just keep doing exactly what we’re doing, and take them apart piece by piece. We could do it at a more rapid fashion, which we might do — or we can negotiate with them, which we’re also doing right now,” Trump said, adding, “we’re talking to them.”
Asked whether he had decided on launching broader military strikes against Iran, Trump said no final decision had been taken.
“No, I haven’t. We’re talking to them right now. I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by… I consider that the smarter way, but the other’s probably the easier way, doing what we’re doing — and we can take that to a much higher level if we want to. We’re prepared to do that, as you know. We’re locked and loaded,” he said.
When asked who was leading the negotiations within the administration, including whether senior advisers Jared Kushner or Steve Witkoff were involved, Trump declined to identify a single point person.
“Sort of everybody… It’s a big deal,” he said.
The President also rejected suggestions that political considerations were influencing the pace of decision-making.
“We are talking right now and we’ll see what comes of it… Despite what everyone says about the election, I’m not in a hurry,” Trump said. “We have to do it right.”
The remarks came as US military operations in the region continued.
Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US Marines had conducted rapid-response training in the Middle East, including loading an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) onto a KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
On Thursday, CENTCOM announced that US forces had completed another round of strikes against Iranian military targets, marking the 13th consecutive night of operations. According to the command, the strikes targeted military command centres, drone storage facilities, communication networks, coastal surveillance sites and maritime capabilities. Iranian media reported that at least two people were injured in the Bandar Abbas region.
In response, the Iranian Army on Friday launched a fresh wave of drone attacks under its ongoing “Operation Lightning”, targeting US military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
According to statements carried by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, the strikes formed part of the 24th and 25th phases of the operation and were aimed at multiple US military facilities across the three countries.
(With ANI inputs)
