Trump "Iran War Will End Pretty Soon...I could go to Pakistan yourself."

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that the end-of-war negotiations with Iran were "very close," hinting at the possibility of a settlement within the weekend. At the same time, he mentioned the possibility of resuming military operations if an agreement is not reached.

President Donald Trump said on the 16th (local time) that the war in Iran is also going smoothly and it should be ending pretty soon, he said at a roundtable on 'tax cuts for tips' held in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We are doing very well, and we have the strongest military anywhere in the world," he said, reiterating his military superiority. On the same day, at the White House, President Trump also said that "a lot of progress has been made and we are very close to an agreement" on the situation of negotiations with Iran. In particular, he repeated the message that negotiations are imminent, noting that "additional negotiations may take place this weekend." Regarding the possibility of visiting Pakistan, which is mentioned as a venue for negotiations, he said, "I will go. Pakistan did a very good job. If the negotiations are concluded in Islamabad, I can go."

The United States and Iran agreed to a 'two-week ceasefire' on the 7th and continue negotiations around key issues related to the nuclear program. The deadline for the ceasefire is the 21st. The two sides held their first face-to-face talks in Pakistan on the 11th, but failed to narrow their differences and broke down. Since then, whether to negotiate further has emerged as the biggest variable. President Trump claimed on the same day that Iran agreed to give up its nuclear weapons and agreed to take enriched uranium out to the United States. "Iran has a very strong document that it will not have nuclear weapons for more than 20 years," he said. In fact, this is interpreted as a statement to highlight the imminent agreement on a level that limits its nuclear development capability for a long time. However, the prevailing view is that it is uncertain whether the actual agreement will be reached on these claims. In particular, Iran's "no nuclear weapons for more than 20 years" or "export of enriched uranium" have been considered conditions that make it difficult for Iran to accept. The issue of "limiting uranium enrichment," which the U.S. has been demanding, is also a key issue due to the wide gap between the two sides. For this reason, President Trump's remarks are likely a strategic message to pressure Iran by making the deal a fait accompli.

President Trump also mentioned the possibility of a failed negotiation. He did not rule out military options, saying, "If an agreement is not reached, the fighting will resume." At the same time, he described the US operation to block Iran's waters as "very strong and making remarkable progress." In fact, the US is increasing military pressure by controlling the movement of Iranian-related ships around the Strait of Hormuz. He also linked it to the economic situation in the U.S., saying, "Once the agreement is reached, oil prices and prices will fall and inflation will calm down." This seems to be a statement conscious of domestic public opinion at a time when energy prices are rising due to recent tensions in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, efforts are being made to ease tensions in the Middle East. President Trump said that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, which includes Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militant group in Lebanon. He highlighted his role as a mediator, mentioning the possibility that the leaders of the two countries will meet at the White House within a week or two. Reporter Lee Ga-hyun (@kmib.co.kr">hyun@kmib.co.kr )

"Trump, in any case, seems more inclined to end the war. Since this is an era where the words of the U.S. president cannot be trusted, it is more important to look at the trend, and the current trend points in that direction. At this time, the complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz is urgently needed."