Trump says ‘didn't underestimate anything’ in Fox News interview with Bret Baier on Iran conflict

BEIJING, CHINA: While on a trip to China, President Donald Trump was interviewed by Fox News’ Bret Baier and was also questioned about the ongoing situation in the Middle East involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz amid stalled peace talks.

Baier emphasized the timeline to end the Iran war and asked if Tehran’s “pain tolerance” capacity was “underestimated.”

Trump says, ‘didn’t underestimate Iran'

While the interview taken by Bret Baier during Trump’s visit to Beijing is yet to go on air, a snippet of the interview released by the newsroom shows Trump being questioned about the Iran war.

Trump was questioned whether the US underestimated “Iran’s pain tolerance,” as Baier asked the president, “why are we where we are?”

“I didn’t underestimate anything. We hit them unbelievably hard. Look, we left their bridges. We left their electricity capacity. We can knock that all out in two days. Two days. Everything,” Trump said.

Trump’s interview comes after recent polling showing growing unrest among people over the Iran war, as a large chunk of poll participants disapproved of the handling of the war amid its souring impact on the economy.

During the interview, Trump dismissed concerns  about the Iran war continuing, naming longer conflicts that took years and claimed thousands of lives, like the Vietnam War.

“We left Kharg Island, other than I said, hit it except for the valves where the oil comes out. Because when you hit that, that means you’re going to lose a little oil. But one thing is happening. Amazingly, ships are floating up to Texas and Louisiana, and they’re going to Alaska, and they’re loading up with oil like we’ve never seen before,” Trump said as he continued answering Baier if the US underestimated Iran and why the the situation is how it is.

Trump names wars that lasted years

Trump was further questioned when the war with Iran would end, as Bret Baier asked, "Americans want to know when it’s over though, right?"

As Trump began answering the question, he mentioned several wars that took years to conclude.

"Yeah, look, Vietnam lasted 19 years. Iraq was like 10 years. Korea was seven years. Another one was 14 years. Another one was 12 years. Another one was nine years. We’re in there for two and a half months. The other thing they talk about, so we lost tens of thousands of soldiers in Vietnam, we lost tens of thousands of soldiers in practically every war,” Trump added.

“I’ve lost — and I wish we’d lost none because I know those parents, I spoke to them — lost 13 soldiers in two wars.”

President Trump embarked on the strategically important two-day trip to Beijing, China, on Tuesday, May 12, and is scheduled to return on Friday evening, May 15.

The closely watched talks between the two presidents could shape future US-China relations, the ongoing situation in the Middle East, and redefine the US’s long-standing position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, among others.

Following the meeting between President Trump and his counterpart, Xi Jinping, on first day, the White House said that the leaders had agreed that the Strait must remain open and that Iran "can never have a nuclear weapon."