US President Donald Trump has cast fresh doubts over the fragile Iran ceasefire, describing the truce as “one of the weakest” agreements and claiming it is now on “massive life support”, amid fears of renewed tensions in the Middle East.
Talking to reporters at White House, Trump said Washington had rejected Tehran's latest response to a US-backed peace proposal, while reiterating that the US would not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
“It's unbelievably weak. I would call it the weakest right now,” Trump said when asked if the ceasefire remained in place. “I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support.”
Trump also dismissed Iran's latest proposal, saying: “After reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it.”
In an interview with Fox News, the US President claimed Iran's military capabilities had been severely degraded.
“Iran has been defeated militarily; totally. They have a little left they probably built up during this period of time,” he said.
“It's a very simple plan. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and they won't have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump said Tehran believed Washington could eventually ease pressure, but warned the US would continue its campaign.
“How stupid! Are they stupid people? They think that, ‘Well, I'll get tired of this or I'll get bored, or I'll have some pressure.' But there's no pressure. There's no pressure at all. We're going to have a complete victory,” he said.
Speaking about negotiations with Tehran, Trump described divisions within Iran's leadership.
“They have the moderates, they're dying to make a deal, and then you have the lunatics,” he said.
“The lunatics want to fight till the end.”
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Trump also alleged Iranian officials told him the country lacked the capability to deal with contamination at damaged nuclear sites.
“Iran told me, ‘You are getting the nuclear dust, but you will have to get it.'
They said, ‘You and China are the only ones that can get it because the sites were obliterated,'” he said.
In a separate interview, Trump added: “Iran doesn't have equipment to take out nuclear dust.”
He further accused Tehran's leadership of being “very dishonorable people.”
The President also said he was prepared to take political risks to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“I'm willing to, it's a terrible expression, take a bullet for the country,” Trump said.
“But I am willing to take a bullet for the country.”
Trump additionally criticised Kurdish groups allied with Washington in the region. “The Kurds take, take, take,” he said.
“They fight hard when they get paid. I am very disappointed in the Kurds.”
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