Trump pushes Iran deal as ceasefire faces new challenges
President Donald Trump is facing a critical moment in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with Iran, even as new violence threatens a fragile ceasefire.
(NBC)- President Donald Trump is facing a critical moment in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with Iran, even as new violence threatens a fragile ceasefire.
Israel and Iran exchanged fire Sunday for the first time since a ceasefire took effect in April, raising concerns about whether a broader peace agreement can still be reached. According to Axios, Trump said in an interview before Israel’s response that he would urge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate in a way that could derail ongoing negotiations.
In an interview taped Friday for NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said the United States remains focused on securing a deal with Iran but warned military action remains an option.
“My red line would be if I think I wasn’t going to make a deal, or if I wasn’t going to make a deal fast enough,” Trump said. “So we’re having very good negotiations with the people that are leading the country now.”
The president also pushed back when asked about his campaign promise to avoid new wars.
“I didn’t guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?” Trump said.
Trump acknowledged uncertainty over how the conflict could affect energy prices, saying future costs depend on how the war develops.
“It depends where the war goes,” he said.
The developments come as the president also continues defending his administration’s proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, which has faced bipartisan criticism and opposition from some Republicans. Although senior Justice Department officials have said the program is not moving forward, Trump suggested he still supports compensating people he believes were unfairly targeted by the federal government.
“If it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed,” Trump said.
