President Donald Trump said in a Monday interview with Fox News that Iran is terrified after losing almost all its air defenses amid last year's Israeli aerial attack and is now seeking to make a deal with the Untied States.
"Iran is very concerned. Iran is very frightened, to be honest with you, because their defense is pretty much gone," Trump said of the October Israeli airstrikes. US intelligence has described that several Russian-supplied S-300 anti-air defense systems were destroyed.
"Maybe they are trying to get new defense as we speak but their defense is largely gone... Iran is very nervous. I think they're scared. I think Iran would love to make a deal and I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them," Trump added.
The remarks came days after Trump restored "maximum pressure" and fresh sanctions targeting Iranian oil exports, which reflects the policy of his first term, when he pulled the US out of the JCPOA nuclear deal with Tehran.
"Everybody thinks Israel with our help or our approval will go in and bomb the hell out of them," Trump said while noting that Israeli would need approval from Washington in that scenario.
"I would prefer that not happen. I'd much rather see a deal with Iran where we can do a deal, supervise, check it, inspect it," the president continued.
That's when Trump made one of the more interesting and provocative comments of the interview...
There's two ways to stopping them: With bombs or a written piece of paper.
Trump:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 11, 2025
Iran can’t have nukes. There's two ways to stopping them: With bombs or a written piece of paper.
I think Iran is very concerned, scared & would love to make a deal. Their defence is largely gone.
I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them. pic.twitter.com/SOQOhFYPxy
He stressed there are essentially two paths forward: with bombs or striking a new deal. "I would love to make a deal without bombing them," Trump said.
But earlier the same day Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian charged that the US is not "sincere" about negotiations with Iran following last week's new sanctions.
"If the US were sincere about negotiations, why did they sanction us?" Pezeshkian posed in a speech in Tehran commemorating the 46th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.
On February 5th Trump had revealed his thinking further in a post on X: "I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens,” ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED," he wrote.
The US is now increasingly worried that given last year's tit-for-tat exchange of major strikes with Israel, Tehran leaders are more incentivized than ever to secretly develop a nuke.
However, the CIA has long assessed, even recently, that Iran's leadership has not yet ordered the pursuit of a bomb. The Ayatollahs throughout the decades have also condemned atomic weapons as 'unIslamic'.
President Donald Trump said in a Monday interview with Fox News that Iran is terrified after losing almost all its air defenses amid last year’s Israeli aerial attack and is now seeking to make a deal with the Untied States.
“Iran is very concerned. Iran is very frightened, to be honest with you, because their defense is pretty much gone,” Trump said of the October Israeli airstrikes. US intelligence has described that several Russian-supplied S-300 anti-air defense systems were destroyed.
“Maybe they are trying to get new defense as we speak but their defense is largely gone… Iran is very nervous. I think they’re scared. I think Iran would love to make a deal and I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them,” Trump added.
The remarks came days after Trump restored “maximum pressure” and fresh sanctions targeting Iranian oil exports, which reflects the policy of his first term, when he pulled the US out of the JCPOA nuclear deal with Tehran.
“Everybody thinks Israel with our help or our approval will go in and bomb the hell out of them,” Trump said while noting that Israeli would need approval from Washington in that scenario.
“I would prefer that not happen. I’d much rather see a deal with Iran where we can do a deal, supervise, check it, inspect it,” the president continued.
That’s when Trump made one of the more interesting and provocative comments of the interview…
There’s two ways to stopping them: With bombs or a written piece of paper.
Trump:
Iran can’t have nukes. There’s two ways to stopping them: With bombs or a written piece of paper.
I think Iran is very concerned, scared & would love to make a deal. Their defence is largely gone.
I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them. pic.twitter.com/SOQOhFYPxy
— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 11, 2025
He stressed there are essentially two paths forward: with bombs or striking a new deal. “I would love to make a deal without bombing them,” Trump said.
But earlier the same day Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian charged that the US is not “sincere” about negotiations with Iran following last week’s new sanctions.
“If the US were sincere about negotiations, why did they sanction us?” Pezeshkian posed in a speech in Tehran commemorating the 46th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.
On February 5th Trump had revealed his thinking further in a post on X: “I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon. Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens,” ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED,” he wrote.
The US is now increasingly worried that given last year’s tit-for-tat exchange of major strikes with Israel, Tehran leaders are more incentivized than ever to secretly develop a nuke.
However, the CIA has long assessed, even recently, that Iran’s leadership has not yet ordered the pursuit of a bomb. The Ayatollahs throughout the decades have also condemned atomic weapons as ‘unIslamic’.
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