Trump Says Iran War Over, Peace Deal Optional
Trump dismisses leaked report, insists Iran strikes were effective.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump stated that he was not especially focused on persuading Iran and Israel to enter into an agreement that would formalize a ceasefire, asserting that he had addressed the longstanding tensions between the two countries.
Despite his administration's upcoming meetings with Iran, he indicated that securing a signed agreement is not a priority.
“To me, I don’t think it’s that necessary,” he said regarding a formal ceasefire agreement while addressing journalists at a NATO summit in the Netherlands. "They have engaged in warfare. Now they are returning to their respective domains. I am indifferent to whether an agreement exists; the only request we would make is consistent with our previous stance, which is our desire for a nuclear-free environment, yet we have already dismantled the nuclear capabilities."
The president characterized the recent ceasefire and U.S. airstrikes on Iran as a significant achievement. Following 12 days of conflict, hostilities between Israel and Iran have largely diminished, and the Trump administration has asserted that U.S. strikes have severely impaired Iran's nuclear capabilities. However, some intelligence reports indicate that these facilities could potentially resume operations within months rather than years.
Moreover, Trump himself conceded that hostilities between Israel and Iran could reignite, although he expressed skepticism regarding the likelihood of this occurring.
“I dealt with both and they’re both tired, exhausted,” he said. “They fought very, very hard and very viciously, very violently, and they were both satisfied to go home and get out. And can it start again? I guess someday, it can. It could maybe start soon.”
Trump, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, consistently denied the validity of a leaked classified report which indicated that the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities might have only delayed their progress by months rather than years, contrary to the White House's assertions.
“They presented a report that wasn’t finished. We’re talking about something that took place three days ago,” Trump remarked regarding the leaked intelligence evaluation. "They did not witness it. All they can do is speculate."
Trump also praised the successful diplomatic efforts between Congo and Rwanda, as well as between India and Pakistan ( Indian government openly denied for such talks with trump). However, he encountered inquiries regarding his currently unsuccessful attempts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
In reply to a question posed by a Ukrainian journalist Trump said the door was open to supplying Ukraine with some of the same antimissile capabilities the U.S. provides to Israel.
Trump said that he had not been able to broker peace in Ukraine due to troubles with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
“Vladimir Putin has been more difficult,” Trump said. “Frankly, I had some problems with Zelenskyy. You may have read about him, and it’s been more difficult than other wars. I mean, look, we just ended a war in 12 days that was simmering for 30 years.”