Trump: Iran options are economic collapse or 'hit them really, really hard'
Trump outlines two Iran strategies: let the economy fail or launch a major strike, while calling Tehran 'devious negotiators.'
US President Donald Trump has laid out two starkly different paths for dealing with Iran, accusing Tehran of being "devious negotiators" in a phone interview released late Monday.
Speaking to Real America's Voice, Trump said he was currently "sort of negotiating" with Iran. He described one option as continuing the present course — "just bop along and look how bad they're doing" — pointing to Iran's economic distress.
"Economically, they are a mess. They can't borrow money. We control their money, what they had, which is a lot. They had a lot, and we have total control of it. I'm their banker," Trump said, referring to frozen Iranian assets.
The alternative, he said, would be to "hit them really, really hard."
Trump's remarks come amid conflicting signals from the region. Pakistan said Tuesday that the US and Iran were close to "some sort" of deal, while Qatar reported that talks on managing the Strait of Hormuz were at an advanced stage — despite fresh reports of attacks on shipping.
The president also dismissed concerns about depleted US munitions, saying the military was "building them like crazy." He blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for any shortfalls, alleging Biden "gave $300 billion worth to Ukraine." Reports last week indicated the US Army had used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during the conflict.