Trump on Tehran: "They Want a Deal More Than I Do," but the Nuclear Threat is Already Gone

• President Donald J. Trump signaled a major shift in the ongoing conflict with Iran on Tuesday, asserting that a formal diplomatic agreement is no longer a prerequisite for a U.S. military withdrawal. Speaking to reporters at the White House, the President suggested that the primary objective—ensuring Iran remains years away from nuclear capability—has nearly been met through sheer military force.

​"The Deal is Irrelevant" ​In a series of candid remarks, President Trump dismissed the necessity of the very negotiations his administration has been pursuing through Omani and Qatari intermediaries. ​"Iran doesn't have to make a deal... It's a new regime. They are much more accessible," Trump stated. "When we feel that they are, for a long period of time, put into the Stone Age and they won't be able to come up with a nuclear weapon, then we'll leave, whether we have a deal or not. It's irrelevant." ​The President emphasized that while the U.S. is open to a deal, the pressure is entirely on Tehran. "It’s possible we’ll have a deal because they want to make a deal. They want to make a deal more than I want to make a deal," he added. ​A Warning to Future Leadership ​Addressing concerns about Iran’s long-term nuclear ambitions, Trump issued a stern warning that any future attempt to revive the program would meet the same "unparalleled firepower" seen in recent months. ​"They will not be able to have nuclear weapons for years," Trump asserted. "And when they are already maybe in—a long time from now—able to do a nuclear weapon, you will have a president who will be like me, and he will go there, and he'll knock the hell out of them again because they cannot have a nuclear weapon." ​Praise for the "New Regime" ​Despite his aggressive rhetoric regarding military strikes, the President offered a surprising assessment of the current Iranian leadership following the upheaval that has gripped the country since the start of the year. ​"They are very radicalized people. They're very sick leaders," he said, referring to the previous guard. "And I will say, though, that the leadership we're dealing with now, the new regime... is much better than the past." ​While the President claimed a "regime change" has effectively occurred, analysts note that the political situation in Tehran remains fluid. Nonetheless, Trump insisted that the U.S. could wrap up its military campaign "within two to three weeks," citing the decimation of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and military assets.