The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has assured this Saturday that Washington is very close to reaching an understanding with Tehran regarding its nuclear program. As he explained, the talks are advancing along the lines set by his Administration, although he made it clear that he does not rule out resorting to force if the dialogue fails.
"We are close to a very good deal, and if we can close it, perfect. Otherwise, we are going to finish it another way," the president declared during an interview with the Fox News network. The occupant of the White House maintained that the Iranian authorities are gradually yielding to the demands of the United States and even stated that Tehran would have already abandoned the option of developing nuclear weapons.
The Republican leader reiterated that his preference is to reach a negotiated solution, but warned that Washington is willing to use force if the diplomatic route does not guarantee the set objectives. "We are achieving a great deal; otherwise, we will go back and finish it militarily," he sentenced.
The possible development of a nuclear weapon by Iran constitutes the core of the talks. Trump explained that the draft handled by the negotiating teams not only obliges Tehran not to manufacture the bomb, but also not to procure it by any other means.
"At first (the Iranians) said: 'We will not develop a nuclear weapon.' I said: 'And what if they buy a nuclear weapon?'. So now they say: 'We will not develop or buy in any way a military weapon.' That is a big difference," the president pointed out.
Despite the military pressure he keeps on the table, Trump insisted that the outcome he considers ideal is the agreement, because "it saves lives" and, moreover, "it allows the Strait of Hormuz to be immediately opened as soon as it is signed." The reopening of this strategic passage and the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic constitute the two main axes of the negotiation. "It's that simple," he hammered home.
In any case, the president indicated that his Government is obtaining "little by little" the desired results, although he acknowledged that the process is prolonged due to the toughness of the Iranian position at the table. "They are very tough negotiators. It takes a long time. I'm not in a hurry. If one is in a hurry, one is not going to reach a good deal," he stated.
During the same interview, Trump has once again defended Washington's strategy towards Tehran and has maintained that the United States' military operations have prevented Iran from already having nuclear weapons. "If we hadn't attacked them with B-2 bombers nine months ago, right now they would have a nuclear weapon," he insisted.
At the same time, he admitted that he decided not to strike a significant part of the Iranian military structure, considering that their Armed Forces are "quite moderate." "We have left their Armed Forces alone," he indicated, before arguing that in previous conflicts mistakes were made by completely dismantling a country's military power, which, in his opinion, complicated its reconstruction for decades.
In relation to this, the American president has made self-criticism about the United States' military interventions in the Middle East and has compared the current confrontation with Iran to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. "We did it terribly. It was a real foolishness. We shouldn't have been there in the first place," he said about Iraq, to then add that "we shouldn't have been in Iran either."
Even so, and despite these criticisms, Trump has defended the advisability of acting against the nuclear capabilities of the Islamic Republic and has reiterated that the current situation would be "completely different" if the United States had not intervened against the Iranian facilities.