The key facts
- Trump in an interview with Financial Times: «The US has no plans to strike Iran in the near future»
- He called Washington's position a «brilliant situation» and said the US is «getting everything it wants»
- The armed forces remain «loaded up», but, according to Trump, «there may be no reason» for a strike
Statement on the eve of the closing of midterm polls
US President Donald Trump said that Washington has no immediate plans to strike Iran. He said this in an interview with Financial Times, published on Tuesday, a few hours before the polls closed in the congressional midterm elections. He described his position on Iran as a «brilliant situation», adding: «It seems we are getting everything we want». A Russian-language retelling of the interview is provided by Life.ru.
Readiness remains, but a strike may not happen
Responding to a question about remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicating that an attack could take place within this week, Trump said: «I am ready, we are ready. We are loaded up in case we have to go, but there may be no reason to». Thus, he refuted rumors about preparations for a new attack, but made it clear that refraining from harsh measures in the future does not mean the US is abandoning readiness for a possible escalation.
Context: Tehran's ultimatum
According to Life.ru, Iran earlier presented the US with an ultimatum of seven conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz, and Tehran continues to insist on the fulfillment of all points of the proposed settlement plan. The outlet also reported, citing the NYT, that Israel passed to the US intelligence data about a possible chemical threat from Iran. The outlet links Trump's statement about a «brilliant situation» to the administration's satisfaction with the current balance of pressure on Iran — this is the outlet's own interpretation of the interview, not a separate confirmation.
