US President Donald Trump on Friday said that there is no backup plan if talks with Iran fail. He was referring to the high-level talks between the two countries in Pakistan, set to take place on Saturday to explore a peace deal.
"You don't need a backup plan. Their military is defeated. We have integrated everything. They have very few missiles. They have very few manufacturing capabilities. We have hit them very hard. Our military is amazing; the job they have done," Trump told reporters.
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A US team led by Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad on Saturday morning, hours after the Iranian delegation reached to participate in the talks. The two sides are expected to hold their highest level meeting since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, hoping to end the nearly six week conflict in the Middle East.
While talking to reporters, Trump maintained that Washington does not need a Plan B and claimed Iran's military capacity has been weakened. Earlier, Trump claimed that the US would move forward “with or without” a deal with Iran to re-open up the Strait of Hormuz. The critical sea route remains affected after Iran blocked it following the US-Israel strikes on it since Feb. 28.
"Well, I wish them luck. He's got a big thing. I'll find out what's going on. They're militarily defeated, and now we're going to open up the gulf (Strait of Hormuz) with or without a deal. But that'll be open, we're going to be on the straight as they call it," he said, speaking at Joint Base Andrews.
Trump's comments come as the US and the Iranian team are set to hold talks in Islamabad's heavily guarded Serena hotel. The talks came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Islamabad had reached out to the US and Iran to help arrange a temporary two-week ceasefire in the Middle East.
While the two sides discuss a possible peace deal, reports suggested that the US has deployed additional forces to the Middle East.
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There are concerns about the chances of the success of these talks as both Iran and the US remain wary and have accused each other of breaking commitments made to secure the temporary ceasefire.
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