WASHINGTON, November 3. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said he was in no hurry to make a decision on a possible resumption of large-scale strikes against Iran.
"One way or the other, we will do something, but there is no rush. We crippled them financially. They have no money, no gasoline and their people are getting very tired of it," Trump said in an interview with Axios. "We are talking to them. It’s going fine," the US leader added, noting that "there’s less urgency [on the Iranian side] than you think there would be."
"But they want to make a deal more than they ever wanted," Trump noted.
Earlier, when asked by reporters after an address in Washington whether he intended to launch the strikes, the US leader answered in the negative.
On November 2, Trump said that believes that Iran and the United States can reach an agreement that would bring an end to hostilities in the Middle East. On October 8, the US leader said that the United States did not intend to strike Iran before the midterm elections to Congress.
Axios reported on November 1 that the US president did not intend at this stage to resume military action against Iran immediately after the midterm elections to Congress, which will be held on November 3.
The United States and Israel began the war with Iran on February 28. Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum of understanding in June, providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. However, the US resumed large-scale strikes on Iran overnight on July 8, accusing Tehran of violating the terms of the agreement regarding the Strait of Hormuz. About 25% of global oil trade and around 20% of liquefied natural gas trade pass through the strait. The US administration then effectively signaled an end to the use of large-scale military force against Iran and a shift toward an attempt to economically strangle the country through sanctions.
Earlier on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that consultations between Tehran and Washington through Doha and Islamabad are proceeding very intensively, and that everything depends on Washington’s political will. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has authorized the government to negotiate with the United States on a peaceful settlement of the conflict.