Trump calls for international support for the Strait of Hormuz: 'We are in talks with 7 countries'

US President Donald Trump, in statements made to reporters aboard Air Force One, evaluated the military operations being conducted against Iran and the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Arguing that the operations against Iran have yielded successful results, Trump said, "We are talking to other countries about ensuring the security of the straits. Because they are the ones buying the oil that passes through there. You know, we take very little, about 1 or 2 percent. For example, China gets about 90 percent of its oil through the Strait of Hormuz. It would be nice if other countries also ensured the security of this region with us. We will help them militarily, we will work with them," he stated.

MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST IRAN

Trump claimed that Iran's military capacity has been severely weakened. Arguing that the Tehran administration could only provide a limited response, Trump stated that the operations were effective, saying, "They might respond a little, but not much, they can't do much. As you know, we neutralized their air force. We destroyed their air defenses. They have no air defenses left. We hit their leadership cadre two or three times. It could be three, we'll find out soon. But we did a tremendous job militarily," he said.

Trump also touched upon the attacks carried out around Kharg Island, one of Iran's important oil export points. Expressing that the US military capacity against targets in the region is ready, Trump said, "We only left a small area standing; that remaining part is where the oil pipelines are, where all the oil comes from. If we wanted to, we could hit that too in 5 minutes. All our capabilities are focused on the target and ready. If we want to do it, we will, but for now, I chose not to. We'll see what happens," he said.

NEGOTIATION CLAIMS ON THE WASHINGTON–TEHRAN LINE

Trump claimed that Iran wants to negotiate with the US. Expressing his view that the Tehran administration is not yet ready for a deal, Trump said, "And they want to negotiate very badly. But from what I hear, I don't think they are ready for a deal yet. As it should be, they want to negotiate intensely, but I don't think they are ready to do what they need to do yet. Still, I believe they will be ready at some point. We are making very good progress regarding this general situation in Iran," he stated.

SEARCH FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Trump reiterated that they are holding talks with different countries to ensure security around the Strait of Hormuz. Expressing that NATO countries could also play a role in this process, Trump said, "If we get it, that would be great, if we don't, that would also be great. Remember, many of these countries are NATO members. We are always there for NATO; we are helping them with Ukraine. There is a huge ocean between us, the issue doesn't directly affect us, but we still helped them. It would be interesting to see which country will not help us in keeping the strait open, which requires a relatively small effort since Iran has very little firepower left," he said.

IRAN'S MISSILE AND DRONE CAPACITY

Trump claimed that Iran's missile stocks are dwindling, drawing attention to the drop in the number of missiles fired recently. Arguing that Iran's production capacity is being targeted, Trump said, "Their missiles have decreased significantly. You see, they are firing very few missiles. Do you know why? Because they don't have many left. We destroyed their production capacity. Likewise, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have also decreased significantly. They are down to about 20 percent of what they used to have. They still have some, but their numbers have dropped a lot. As of yesterday, we started hitting the places where they produce drones. We think we know where most of them are. As a result, just like in Venezuela, this is a very powerful military operation. We have by far the most powerful military in the world. It's not even comparable. I think people understand this, and we will finish this job," he assessed.

CHINA'S ROLE IN STRAIT SECURITY

Trump was asked which countries they are receiving support from regarding the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Not giving a definitive answer to this question, Trump stated that the strait plays a critical role in terms of China's energy supply and said, "I can't say anything definitive. But China is an interesting example. As you know, they get most of their oil, and by far the largest part, from there. They get about 90 percent through the Strait of Hormuz. So I said: 'Would you like to get involved too?' We'll see. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. You know, they might have other reasons not to get involved. But they should get involved," he said.

SECURITY TALKS WITH SEVEN COUNTRIES

Trump said they are holding talks with a total of seven countries for the security of the Strait of Hormuz. Stating that the US has been ensuring security in the region for years, Trump said, "Remember; this is something we don't need, but these countries do. Despite this, we have practically been ensuring the security of that place for years and we are doing a great job. And now, since Iran has lost its military power and its army has been largely weakened, I think it would be a good thing for other countries to step in," he stated.

NAVAL POWER AND MINESWEEPERS

Trump said that security activities in the Strait of Hormuz could start in a short time. Stating that some countries could contribute with minesweepers and different naval platforms, Trump said, "Actually, the process is starting immediately, but it will take some time for them to arrive here. Some countries have minesweepers. That's a good thing. Some countries have certain types of ships that can help us. So some countries will really help," he said.

Trump also pointed out that the US energy production capacity is high, saying, "You could even argue that we shouldn't be there at all because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil. We are by far the number one producer in the world; we are doubling the others, even at least doubling them right now. I think the difference is much higher than that. But we are still there. Even though it seems like we are doing it out of habit, we are also doing it for some of our very good allies in the Middle East," he said.

"DISINFORMATION" ACCUSATION AGAINST IRAN

Trump criticized the Iranian administration's statements that they did not request negotiations. Arguing that Iran is sending different messages to the public, Trump recalled his post on the social media platform Truth Social and commented, "These are the things they tell the public."

Trump also claimed that Iran is spreading misinformation using artificial intelligence, saying, "I hadn't noticed before I started this, but it turns out Iran is quite famous for its fake news. Moreover, they are on the same page as our fake news media. I think this is actually clearly a crime; because our media companies, which have no credibility left, are spreading this information knowing it is false. This is a very dangerous situation for our country. I think they could get into serious legal trouble at this rate," he said.

RELATIONS WITH NETANYAHU

Trump denied allegations that he had a disagreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Expressing that relations with Israel are strong, Trump said, "No, we actually get along very well. He will also tell you that we are managing this whole process. It doesn't matter whether you mention it or not. The important thing is to get the job done," he said.

IRANIAN PEOPLE AND PROTESTS

Trump also answered the question about why the Iranian people are not rising up. Stating that the Iranian administration intervenes harshly against protesters, Trump said, "Two days ago, they issued a new statement saying they would shoot and kill every protester. And the protesters have no weapons. So I understand very well why they are not rising up," he assessed.

"ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE" CLAIM REGARDING RALLY FOOTAGE IN IRAN

Trump claimed that the footage of rallies allegedly held in support of the regime in Iran does not reflect the truth. Arguing that these images were produced with artificial intelligence, Trump said, "They showed about 250 thousand people in a square saying how much they love Khamenei. It was completely a product of artificial intelligence. Something like that never happened. The media knew it wasn't real, but they exaggerated it as if there was great support behind them. They have no support or anything. That rally they said they held three or four days ago was completely fake. It was produced with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence can be very dangerous. We must be very careful about this," he stated.

DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS CONTINUE

Trump confirmed that diplomatic contacts with the Iranian administration are continuing and said, "I don't think they are ready for a deal yet, but they are getting quite close." Claiming that the leadership cadres in Iran are being targeted, Trump said, "No one even knows who we are dealing with; because as you know, most of their leadership cadres have been killed. But they want to make a deal very badly," he assessed.

CAUTIOUS ABOUT DECLARING VICTORY

Trump answered the question of whether he is ready to declare an official victory against Iran by saying, "No, I don't want to do that. There is no reason for that." However, arguing that Iran has been heavily damaged, Trump said, "As of now, I think we have caused them great damage. Even if we pulled out of there right now, it would take them more than 10 years to recover. But I'm still not declaring that this is over. Our military is great. The work they do is simply incredible. The real problem is; we see fake news produced with artificial intelligence, written by people like you. This is incredible," he said.

NUCLEAR WAR WARNING

Trump argued that Iran obtaining nuclear weapons poses a major threat to the region. Stating that military operations are necessary for this reason, Trump said, "I mean, I have to do the right thing. You know, everyone has concerns politically. I can't just come out and say, 'Let there be no impact on oil prices for three or four weeks or two months.' We are not going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon and blow up the entire Middle East and beyond just because of this, are we?" he stated.

Trump also said, "If I hadn't done this, there would have been a nuclear war in the Middle East. I think Israel would have been wiped off the face of the earth. A large part of the Middle East would have been destroyed. You already saw this when they sent thousands of missiles to countries that weren't expecting anything," he said.

CUBA AND SCHOOL ATTACK QUESTION

Trump stated that they want to make a deal with Cuba as well, but that the priority is the Iran issue, saying, "We are talking to Cuba, but we will handle the Iran business before Cuba."

To the question of whether the US is responsible for a school attack in Iran, he replied, "We don't know. The investigation is ongoing."

CONDITION FOR A POSSIBLE DEAL

Trump said that the goals of the US and Israel largely overlap. Emphasizing that the basic condition for a possible deal with Iran is the elimination of nuclear weapons, Trump said, "Actually, I think we have similar goals, but they might be a little different. You know, they are there and we are very far away, but we probably have quite similar goals to Israel. Our relations are in very good shape. Our militaries are working extremely coordinated. Our military is by far the strongest in the world. They also have a really good military," he assessed.

Trump expressed the condition he wants to see in a possible deal with Iran with these words:

"There will be no nuclear weapons. It starts from there. On top of that, there are many more things we will get."

News Source: İHA