President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran has two choices: reach a deal with the United States, or face a return to open warfare.
“They’re negotiating on fumes,” Trump said at his Cabinet meeting, as per Fox News. “Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t.”
The warning came during the administration’s 12th Cabinet session of Trump’s second term, about three months after Operation Epic Fury launched Feb. 28. Trump said Iran’s navy and air force have been wiped out, its economy is in “freefall,” and its currency “has no value.”
“Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Everything’s gone,” he said. “I don’t think they have a choice.”
Separately, the White House moved Wednesday to knock down a report by Iranian state broadcaster IRIB claiming Tehran had received a draft 14-point framework deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a month. The White House called the account a fabrication and told reporters not to trust Iranian state-controlled media.
The IRIB report said the proposed terms would require the U.S. to lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports and pull American forces from Iranian territory. Commercial shipping through the strait would resume within 30 days. Iran’s nuclear program would be taken up in later negotiations. Mediators in Pakistan and Qatar have been running messages between the two sides.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the Cabinet meeting that the U.S. wants a deal and thinks one is possible.
“There’s an agreement to be made,” Rubio said. “I think there’s been some progress and some interest. We’ll see over the next few hours and days whether progress could be made.” He told Trump: “You have other options available if that doesn’t work.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the port blockade isn’t budging.
“Their economy is hurtin’ big-time,” Hegseth said.
Trump waved off any suggestion that midterm politics were rushing him. “I don’t care about the midterms,” he said. “They thought they were going to outwait me.” He pointed to primary results from the night before as evidence he doesn’t need to chase poll numbers.
