'Less than an hour': Trump reveals how quickly US could cripple Iran if talks fail

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said that he is using the threat of destroying Iran's bridges and power plants as leverage in negotiations, revealing how quickly he believes the US could cripple the country's infrastructure if talks break down.

The remarks came during a live ‘Fox & Friends’ phone interview Tuesday, July 28, just hours before Trump was scheduled to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. They underscored that military escalation remains part of his negotiating strategy even as he said he would prefer to avoid carrying it out.

Trump details infrastructure threat

Trump said he faces competing views within the Republican Party over how aggressively to deal with Iran following recent US military action.

"I have many Republicans that want me to keep going and go it, do it," Trump said. "We pounded the hell out of them. They have no navy. They have no air force. Their army has been badly, really badly mortified."

He went on to argue that Iran's defenses had already been severely weakened.

"You look at their defense, their air defense. It's gone. All of their radar is gone. Most of their weaponry is gone. Most of their manufacturing is gone," he said.

Trump said some Republicans believe this is the right moment to negotiate, while others want further military action.

"You have a group of people that wanted to be obliterated in the truest sense of the word. Then you have a group that says this is actually a good time to make a deal for them," he said. "If they don't make a deal, then I go back and I finish the job."

Trump says threats strengthen negotiations

Trump repeatedly described Iran's civilian infrastructure as a key point of leverage if negotiations fail.

"I could take out most of their bridges in less than an hour," he said. "Bridges take the longest, and power plants are second. I can knock out the power plants within one day."

He said he had communicated that possibility directly during negotiations.

"I let them know that... people want me to do that," Trump said. "I think I get almost the same thing out of it as doing it."

Trump also said he was weighing the humanitarian consequences of such strikes.

"I think about 91 million people without power, without bridges," he said, calling it "a very, very delicate balance."

Even so, he warned that if negotiations collapse, "the bridges are going to be gone" and "the power plants in one day."

Israel raises energy strike issue

The interview came as uncertainty continued over the status of US-Iran negotiations. Trump said talks were continuing, while Iran's Foreign Ministry said no negotiations were underway.

Ahead of Trump's White House meeting with Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also said the United States had blocked Israel from targeting Iranian energy infrastructure because of concerns over economic fallout and global energy markets.

"We very much want to strike Iran's energy targets – the US is not approving it at this time," Katz said, adding that Washington fears such attacks could trigger Iranian retaliation against neighbouring states and a wider oil crisis. He also said American fighter jets were operating from Israel on missions targeting Iran.