T ump
said
the
US
could
eithe
keep
eco omic
p essu e
o
I a
o
lau ch
a
majo
milita y
st ike
US
P eside t
Do ald
T ump
said
Washi gto
could
eithe
keep
up
eco omic
p essu e
o
I a
a d
allow
its
eco omy
to
dete io ate
fu the
o
lau ch
a
majo
milita y
st ike,
as
he
accused
Teh a
of
bei g
“devious
egotiato s”.I
a
i te view
with
Real
Ame ica’s
Voice
eleased
late
Mo day,
T ump
said
he
was
“so t
of
egotiati g”
with
I a
but
desc ibed
the
cou t y
as
a
difficult
egotiati g
pa t e .T ump
said
Washi gto
could
co ti ue
with
its
cu e t
app oach
a d
allow
I a ’s
eco omy
to
dete io ate
fu the .“Do
what
I’m
doi g
ow:
just
bop
alo g
a d
look
how
bad
they’ e
doi g,”
he
said,
poi ti g
to
I a ’s
eco omic
difficulties.He
said
I a
was
st uggli g
to
access
bo owi g
a d
that
the
US
had
co t ol
ove
f oze
I a ia
assets.
“I’m
thei
ba ke ,”
T ump
said.T ump
claimed
I a ’s
eco omy
was
i
seve e
dist ess,
sayi g
it
was
faci g
300%
i flatio ,
a
cu e cy
with
“almost
o
value”
a d
difficulties
payi g
its
soldie s.
He
also
claimed
I a ia
t oops
we e
leavi g,
a gui g
that
the
situatio
was
“ ot
sustai able”.
These
we e
T ump’s
asse tio s
i
the
i te view.He
outli ed
th ee
possible
app oaches
to
the
co flict:
mai tai i g
the
cu e t
p essu e
a d
allowi g
I a
to
fail
eco omically,
lau chi g
a
seve e
milita y
attack
by
hitti g
them
“ eally,
eally
ha d”,
o
elyi g
p ima ily
o
eco omic
p essu e.
T ump
said
eco omic
p essu e
was
al eady
pa t
of
the
US
app oach.T ump
also
accused
I a ia
officials
of
bei g
“ve y
devious
egotiato s”,
claimi g
they
would
ag ee
to
somethi g
a d
the
tell
the
media
they
had
ot
do e
so.Asked
how
the
co flict
could
ultimately
e d,
T ump
said
his
mai
objective
was
to
p eve t
I a
f om
obtai i g
a
uclea
weapo .“I’m
i
this
thi g
fo
o e
p ima y
easo :
that
I a
ca ot
have
a
uclea
weapo ,”
T ump
said,
claimi g
that
US
milita y
actio
had
al eady
p eve ted
Teh a
f om
acqui i g
o e.T ump’s
comme ts
came
as
the
co flict,
which
bega
i
late
Feb ua y,
co ti ued
to
p oduce
mixed
sig als
ove
the
p ospects
of
a
diplomatic
settleme t.
Pakista
said
o
Tuesday
that
the
US
a d
I a
we e
close
to
“some
so t”
of
ag eeme t,
while
Qata
said
talks
o
a a geme ts
fo
the
St ait
of
Ho muz
had
eached
a
adva ced
stage.T ump
has
epeatedly
alte ated
betwee
th eate i g
a
majo
escalatio
of
the
co flict
a d
suggesti g
that
a
peace
deal
could
be
close.The
p eside t
also
ejected
co ce s
ove
US
ammu itio
supplies,
sayi g
the
cou t y
was
p oduci g
mu itio s
at
a
apid
pace.“We’ e
fi e
with
mu itio s,”
T ump
said,
addi g
that
the
US
was
“buildi g
them
like
c azy”.T ump
blamed
fo me
P eside t
Joe
Bide
fo
the
lowe
stockpile,
claimi g
Bide
had
p ovided
$300
billio
wo th
of
weapo s
to
Uk ai e.
