U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned two options against Iran: continuing economic pressure until it collapses on its own or launching a large-scale military strike.
On the 11th, Trump said in an interview with the conservative outlet Real America's Voice that one strategy toward Iran is "doing what I am doing now," adding, "taking it easy and watching how terrible their situation is."
Arguing that Iran is suffering a severe economic crisis, with inflation reaching 300% and its currency plunging in value, Trump said, "Even if we just leave them alone, they will fail."
He went on, "We are controlling their funds," claiming, "I am their banker." He also said that the current economic pressure on Iran is "a kind of negotiation."
He expressed distrust of Iran's negotiation stance. Trump said, "They are very cunning negotiators," criticizing that "after agreeing to something, they go outside and tell the media, 'We never did that.'"
Along with economic pressure, he also mentioned a military option. Trump said another approach is to hit Iran "really, really hard," leaving open the possibility of additional military action.
Regarding concerns about a U.S. ammunition shortage, he said, "We're fine," adding, "We are producing ammunition like crazy." He argued that ammunition stocks fell because former President Joe Biden provided about $300 billion worth of ammunition to Ukraine.
On Feb. at the end, after the Iran war began, the United States and Iran have continued military clashes and diplomatic talks. The United States is recently strengthening economic sanctions on Iran while holding talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Mediating countries say there has been some progress in the talks. Pakistan said that day the United States and Iran had come close to "some kind of agreement," and Qatar also assessed that negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz had reached an advanced stage.
However, the gap between the two sides remains wide. Iran presented the lifting of the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran and compensation for war damage as conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump is also demanding compensation from Iran, making it uncertain whether a final agreement can be reached.