US President Donald Trump asserted on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic's military, defenses, and leadership had been destroyed and that, despite a subsequent Iranian desire for dialogue, it was now “too late.”
“Their air defense, Air Force, Navy, and Leadership are gone," Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account. "They want to talk. I said, 'Too Late!'"
Trump's comments came in response to a Washington Post op-ed shared in his Truth Social post. The post included a screenshot of another post comparing Trump to former president Ronald Reagan, saying the two had "found a way to change the world without putting boots on the ground."
According to Trump, when he spoke to the New York Post on Monday, sending US troops into Iran has not yet been entirely ruled out, as he is fully committed to carrying out his objectives to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, annihilate the Iranian navy, ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon, nor can Iran continue to support terror outside its borders.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the operation is ahead of schedule and has emphasized he does not want the war to drag on too long.
Iran doubtful about usefulness of negotiations with the US
Iran has also expressed doubt that peace talks were possible, with Iran's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, telling reporters that currently the only language for talking with the US is the language of defence, and that it was not the time for negotiation.
"For the time being, we are very doubtful about the usefulness of negotiation," Bahreini said.
Reuters contributed to this report.