The president Donald Trump stated this Sunday that it is "very unlikely" he will order new attacks against Iran if Tehran agrees to a solid nuclear deal and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, although he cautioned that the United States keeps its military capability ready to act.
In a 20-minute telephone interview with the network CNN, the president stated five times that a new offensive could be avoided if both parties reach an understanding. "It depends on whether they sign a very solid agreement," he explained to the journalist Jim Sciutto.
"The answer is that it is very unlikely to be necessary. It is a nation that is failing. I would do it if it were necessary, but we hit them very hard. They don't know how hard I hit them," he added.
Despite that message, Trump insisted that Washington retains significant strike capability in the region. "We are prepared for that. I have three aircraft carriers here. The other one just arrived. We have three. They are fully prepared and armed," he asserted.
The president also revealed that U.S. forces have identified 38 Iranian bridges that could be destroyed "literally in an hour," although he stated that he would prefer to avoid that scenario. "I don't like knocking down bridges. And the hardest thing to build is a bridge. It takes years, and I am a good builder," he remarked.
Regarding Iran's military capabilities, Trump stated that their air defenses have been eliminated and that the country retains only 10% of its missile capacity and 15% of its drones, due to the destruction of a significant portion of its manufacturing facilities.
"The only thing they can do is operate at about 10% capacity: producing some missiles and some drones. The drones are at around 15% because much of their manufacturing capacity has disappeared," he stated.
"It is most likely unnecessary," he insisted at the end of the interview. "They want to reach an agreement desperately."
The statements come after the midterm elections on Tuesday, in which the Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress. The unpopularity of the war among American voters was one of the factors that contributed to the Republican defeat, something that Trump himself acknowledged.
In Iran, hardline sectors interpreted the election outcome as a sign of Washington's weakness and believe that the U.S. administration may be more willing to relax its demands regarding the nuclear program of the Persian nation.
Meanwhile, diplomatic contacts continue without decisive progress, eight months after the start of the conflict. On Friday, Trump spoke by phone with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, about reducing tensions. One day earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with the counterparts of nine countries in the region.
Qatar plays a mediating role between Washington and Tehran. However, the positions remain far apart. Iran demands the lifting of the naval blockade and the release of frozen assets before discussing its nuclear program, while tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz continue to be targeted by Iranian attacks.
The war began on February 28 with Operation Epic Fury, a joint offensive by the United States and Israel against Iranian nuclear and military facilities.
In the days leading up to the interview, Washington conducted limited attacks against the Iranian island of Qeshm, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fired upon a U.S. military aircraft. Furthermore, the United States Central Command (Centcom) established a special task force to halt the supply of arms to Iran.
Despite the signs of openness expressed by Trump, the threat of new attacks remains on the table as long as an agreement that includes the conditions put forth by Washington is not reached.
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