Trump says he has 'all the time in the world' but clock is ticking for Iran
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said on Thursday, April 23, he faces no urgency in securing a deal with Iran to end the ongoing conflict, asserting that time is on the United States’ side.
“I am possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position. I have all the time in the world, but Iran doesn’t, the clock is ticking!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump claims Iran's military severely weakened
Trump reiterated his view that Iran’s military capabilities have been significantly degraded, portraying the country as being in a vulnerable position.
In his post, he also attacked the media, saying, "For those people, fewer in number now than ever before, that are reading The Failing New York Times, or watching Fake News CNN, that think that I am 'anxious' to end the War (if you would even call it that!) with Iran, please be advised that I am possibly the least pressured person ever to be in this position."
"I have all the time in the World, but Iran doesn’t — The clock is ticking! The reason some of the media is doing so poorly with Subscribers and Viewers is because they no longer have credibility," he added.
“Iran’s Navy is lying at the bottom of the sea, their Air Force is demolished, their anti-aircraft and radar weaponry is gone… the blockade is airtight and strong and from there, it only gets worse,” he said, adding that “time is not on their side.”
The president stressed that any agreement to end the war would be dictated by Washington’s conditions and timeline.
According to Trump, a deal would materialize only when it is “appropriate and good” for the United States, its allies, and “the rest of the world.”
Earlier in the day, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s leadership, saying he is still waiting for a “unified” proposal from Tehran to bring the conflict to an end.
White House hosts Israel-Lebanon talks
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to join part of the ongoing Israel-Lebanon direct talks at the White House, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The president is also set to greet the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors as they arrive. The second round of talks comes amid a fragile 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon that is due to expire soon.
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad are representing their countries at the talks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to participate in part of the meeting, alongside a broader American delegation that includes US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, and State Department counselor Michael Needham. The first round of talks was held last week at the US State Department.
