United States (US) President Donald Trump has said another round of fighting with Iran is unlikely.
He, however, warned that the United States could launch fresh attacks if Tehran refuses to accept a strong agreement.
Naija News reports that Trump made the comments ahead of a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister as efforts continue to end the conflict between both countries.
Speaking earlier in an interview with CNN on Sunday, the US president said he was not planning to resume military action against Iran for now.
However, he made it clear that his decision would depend on whether Iran agrees to the terms being demanded by Washington.
Trump said, “I would if necessary, but we hit them really hard. I hit them so hard. You don’t know how hard I hit them.”
The US president has threatened fresh attacks in recent weeks, with American media reports suggesting that fighting could resume after last Tuesday’s midterm elections.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said peace talks had been put on hold as both sides considered the outcome of the US elections.
Speaking on Iranian state television on Sunday, Araghchi said mediators had stopped travelling between the countries in recent days.
He said, “For the past few days, there has been no more travel (by mediators), and the reason for this is the shock that the election results in the United States have caused to everyone.”
Araghchi added that Iran was waiting to see how the American government would respond to the election results before deciding on the next step.
Trump has admitted that the unpopular war with Iran, which started with US-Israeli attacks in late February, contributed to the Republicans’ poor performance in the elections.
Reacting to the development on Monday, Araghchi claimed that most Americans were unhappy with Israel’s role in the conflict.
In a post on 𝕏, he said Americans were tired of Israel drawing the United States into prolonged wars.
Meanwhile, Trump has continued to argue that Iran’s economic problems would force its leaders to accept Washington’s demands.
He claimed that Iran was facing 301 per cent inflation and was struggling financially.
However, official Iranian figures put the country’s year-on-year inflation at nearly 90 per cent in September.
The tension between both countries has also continued despite the reduction in direct military attacks.
Iranian state television reported that Qeshm Island, located in the Strait of Hormuz, came under attack overnight on Sunday. This followed reports by Iranian news agency IRNA of two explosions on the island.
Countries including Qatar and Pakistan have made several efforts to broker a lasting peace agreement, but their attempts have yet to produce a final deal.
Although large-scale fighting has largely stopped, Iran is still trying to block the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for global oil and gas supplies. The United States Navy has also maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, leaving tensions between both countries unresolved.
