Trump administration preparing fresh round of military strikes on Iran: US media

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is preparing for a fresh round of military strikes against Iran despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, US media reported, citing sources with direct knowledge of the planning.

No final decision had been made as of Friday afternoon (local time), reports Xinhua news agency, quoting CBS News.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran was seeking negotiations after recent US military actions, saying Tehran’s military capabilities had been severely weakened and insisting the country “will never have a nuclear weapon”.

Addressing a rally in New York’s Rockland County, Trump said the US military had inflicted major damage on Iran and warned that Washington would not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons.

 “Now, Iran, their Navy’s gone, their air force is gone everything’s gone, their leaders are gone,” Trump told supporters. “And if you read the fake news, you’d think they’re doing just fine. They’re not doing just fine. They want to settle so badly.”

Trump later repeated the claim while discussing energy prices and the US economy.

 “We’re going to have to journey down to the Middle East,” he said. “Because Iran is going to have a nuclear weapon if we don’t stop them. And I said, we’re going to have to do it, and we have stopped them.”

 “They’re not going to ever have a nuclear weapon,” Trump added. “They’re never going to have a nuclear weapon.”

The President framed the Iran confrontation as part of a broader national security and economic strategy, arguing that stabilising the Middle East would help lower global energy prices.

 “Oil prices are going to tumble as soon as I finish up with Iran, tumble, boom,” Trump said. (IANS)

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