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President Trump declared victory over Iran’s nuclear threat after boasting US and Israeli forces cut out the “cancer” – before going on to claim that the Islamic Republic is “afraid” of striking a deal.
“What we had to do is get rid of the cancer,” Trump told the National Republican Congressional Committee Wednesday. “We had to cut out the cancer. The cancer was Iran with a nuclear weapon. We’ve cut it out. Now we’re going to finish it off.”
Trump’s bullish remarks come just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Iran had no ability to enrich uranium, vowing to crush Tehran’s nuclear program to “dust.”
The president said the US had “no choice” but to attack Iran, forces are “decimating the other side,” but claimed Tehran wants to negotiate – even though its regime leaders publicly dismissed proposed cease-fire plans.
“We’re winning so big. Nobody’s ever seen anything like what we’re doing in the Middle East with Iran,” he said.
“They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly, but they’re afraid to say it because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people. They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.”
Trump had told aides he wants the conflict to end in the coming weeks, according to the Wall Street Journal. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US military is “ahead of schedule.” The Pentagon set an initial timeline of four to six weeks.
Leavitt also warned Iran would be “hit harder than they have ever been hit before” if its leadership failed to recognize it had been defeated militarily.
“President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell. Iran should not miscalculate again,” she warned.
“Their last miscalculation cost them their senior leadership, their navy, their air force and their air defense system.”
Tehran has vowed that it has no intentions of negotiating with the US and Israel.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that “there are no negotiations underway,” as reported by NBC News.
“No negotiations have happened with the enemy until now, and we do not plan on any negotiations,” Araghchi said.
Araghchi claimed Washington had “sent various messages through friendly countries.”
“The fact that messages are sent and we respond with warnings or state our positions does not constitute negotiation or dialogue; it is an exchange of messages,” he added.
Efforts are being made for talks between Iran and the US to be held in Pakistan Friday – but Tehran is skeptical.
Officials within the Islamic Republic have told countries trying to mediate peace talks that “we don’t want to be fooled again,” after claiming Trump had tricked them twice, a source close to discussions told Axios.
Israel launched attacks on Iran last June, just days before planned nuclear talks.
The US and Israel launched the current operation against the tyrannical regime just days after American and Iranian negotiators had agreed to continue talking.
Tehran fears any US cease-fire negotiations could be a trap to assassinate one of the regime’s last surviving leaders, according to the Journal.
Meanwhile, American forces continue to be deployed to the Middle East – despite talks of negotiations.
At least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will be deployed in the coming days, three sources with knowledge of the plans told the Associated Press.
Around 5,000 more Marines are also being deployed to the region, and thousands of sailors.
Mohsen Rezaie, an ex-commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Tehran is “waiting” for American troops amid the mass deployment reports.
“When they haven’t gotten any results from their air force, which is their strong point; what do they expect from ground action?” he wrote on X.
“Do American soldiers want to die for Israel? We’re waiting.”
With Post wires
English (US)