Trump: Iran 'strong and proud' but will eventually be forced to agree

US President Donald Trump announced that the Iranian leadership has not yet reached a final agreement formula with Washington to end the ongoing military conflict, considering that Tehran is acting from a position of being 'strong and proud'. Trump indicated that the new reality imposed by events will eventually force Iran to sit at the negotiating table and make concessions it did not expect.

In a recently broadcast media interview, Trump explained that diplomatic negotiations with the Iranian side require a long time and cannot be resolved in days. He stressed that the US administration is monitoring the field developments that impose very limited options on Tehran to exit the current crisis, which has entered its fourth month.

These statements come amid intensive international efforts to end the war that erupted between the two parties, which witnessed periods of fragile calm. The two sides had reached a ceasefire agreement last April, but tensions repeatedly renewed due to the exchange of military strikes in the strategic Strait of Hormuz region.

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed before the House of Representatives that the large-scale military operation known as 'Epic Fury' has completed its primary objectives. Rubio explained that the recent military movements were purely defensive in nature, aiming to protect US interests from continuous threats.

Rubio indicated that US forces changed their strategy to directly target the elements responsible for launching drones, instead of merely shooting down the drones themselves. He stressed that Washington is ready to stop these strikes as soon as Iranian attacks targeting international navigation and ships near the strait cease.

The conflict had earlier caused the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which led to severe disruptions in global energy markets and a record rise in oil prices. This closure placed significant economic and political pressure on the US administration, prompting it to seek a balance between military response and containing economic repercussions.

During his speech, Trump criticized repeated demands to expedite the end of the war, noting that major conflicts historically take many years to reach permanent solutions. He compared the current situation to the Vietnam War, which lasted for nearly two decades, emphasizing that his administration is moving at record speed given the scale of the challenges.

The US President said that the armed forces have inflicted severe damage on Iranian military capabilities over the past three months. He added that intelligence assessments indicate the destruction of most of the infrastructure dedicated to manufacturing and launching drones and ballistic missiles that Tehran relied on.

Despite confirming the extent of the destruction, Trump acknowledged that Iran still retains a portion of its military arsenal capable of carrying out limited attacks. Military experts estimated that Tehran still possesses approximately 22 percent of its missile inventory that was available to it before the outbreak of direct confrontation.

Trump pointed to recent attacks in the Gulf region, which targeted vital facilities such as Kuwait International Airport, as evidence of the remaining Iranian offensive capabilities. He considered these attacks to reflect desperate attempts by the Iranian side to assert its presence despite the heavy losses incurred by the regime.

The US President defended the decision to begin military operations involving regional parties, affirming that the primary strategic goal was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. He considered military action necessary to ensure regional security and prevent Tehran from possessing unconventional threat tools.

Regarding the diplomatic path, Trump hinted at the possibility of current efforts failing if Iranian intransigence in accepting US conditions continues. He said that he might be forced to make decisive and difficult decisions if an agreement that guarantees the security interests of the United States and its allies is not reached.

Trump warned that the alternative to a political agreement would be 'another path that is not pleasant,' in a clear reference to the possibility of an unprecedented escalation of military operations. He affirmed that Washington has ready plans to deal with all possible scenarios if negotiations completely collapse.

Finally, Trump stressed that economic and military pressures will eventually lead to the Iranian leadership's submission, no matter how much it tries to show strength at present. He considered that time is on the side of the United States, which has the ability to continue the confrontation for long periods until its goals are achieved.

Either we sign a deal, or we go the other way, and the other way is not pleasant.