President Trump goes from joking to mentioning war with Iran
President Donald Trump addressed the war with Iran and regional developments Friday.
A summary of his comments follows:
In his remarks at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, President Trump said of the war situation, “Everything is going very well. Don’t believe the fake news.”
He went on to say that the United States is “attacking Iran very hard” and that Iran no longer has naval and air force capabilities.
“Contrary to appearances, they have very few drones left,” he says.
Trump also added that he thinks Iran “wants a deal,” but “I don’t think they’re ready for it.”
“I don’t think it’s time yet, but I’m going to listen,” the president said.
Speaking to reporters at the White House early Friday afternoon, President Trump also stressed that the United States is actively negotiating with Iran, but added that the military may continue or escalate its bombing campaign. The president insisted there were still “many” exit strategies.
The comments came after Trump met with top advisers and Cabinet members on Friday to discuss the possibility of escalating the war, the sources said.
Iran appears to be getting “more serious” in the ongoing talks, the president said. “I think they’re the most severe we’ve ever seen. But that doesn’t mean we’ll get there.”
Asked whether he had authorized Chris Wright to sign the deal, President Trump said he had not discussed it with the energy secretary. President Trump upended a long-negotiated deal after being blindsided by the Energy Department’s announcement this week, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Thursday.
CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Logan Cisciano, Alejandra Jaramillo and Adam Canklin contributed to this report.
