Iran's top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, has rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that Tehran is approaching surrender, saying the American president's assertions do not reflect the situation on the ground amid the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, responded to Trump in a post on X on Friday. He accused the US president of confusing declarations of victory with developments on the ground and said Trump's claims had gone beyond reality.
ALSO READ: Who Is Hamam Al Hamami? What We Know About Flydubai Co-Pilot And Oman Air Link
“You can win every day in your own imagination. But reality is shaped by Iran — by its people, its soldiers, and its missiles,” Rezaei said in his response.
US President Donald Trump said Iran was “ready to fold up” and suggested the United States could win the war shortly after the November midterm elections, while leaving open the possibility that the conflict could end sooner.
Speaking at an event on Thursday, Trump said the US was “trying to be nice” to Iran's current leadership but acknowledged that Washington was uncertain about whom it could negotiate with as the conflict continues.
Earlier this week, Trump told TIME that US military action against Iran could resume after the midterm elections if Washington and Tehran failed to reach an agreement. He also questioned whether a lasting peace deal with Iran could be reached.
Trump said he was unsure whether Iran was ready to “give up yet” and claimed that Tehran was performing “very poorly” in the conflict, Reuters reported, as cited by Benzinga.
The confrontation comes as Iran faces growing economic and military pressure. According to the report, a US blockade has disrupted Iranian oil exports, an important source of government revenue, while the economic impact of the conflict has added to pressure on the Iranian population.
Iranian officials, however, have rejected suggestions that Tehran is preparing to surrender. Iran's president told the United Nations General Assembly the previous week that the country would not give in to US pressure, while maintaining that Tehran remained open to peace negotiations.
ALSO READ: G7 To Release 100 Million Barrels Of Oil, Diesel As Fuel Prices Surge
Meanwhile, the United States is expanding its military presence in the Middle East. CBS reported that the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and the USS Makin Island Amphibious Group were heading towards the region, potentially bringing the number of US carrier strike groups there to three.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.