US President Donald Trump has declared that the war on Iran is “going to get wrapped up soon”, adding that Washington needs a “guarantee there’ll never be a nuclear weapon”.
While again defending his decision to go to war with Iran during a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, the US President, in a rambling speech, brought up Iran several times and repeated claims about destroying Iran’s navy and airforce. “We are never going to give them a nuclear weapon,” he said.
He also denied that the US had started the war, saying “this was a war they started many years ago” and that “Iran has been waging war on America since 1979.”
He went on to dismiss criticism over soaring energy costs, claiming “more oil is flowing right now out of the Hormuz Strait than seven months ago”. He added that “gasoline prices are dropping to levels much lower” than during the administrations of his Democratic predecessors.
Trump also slammed Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna for his criticism of the cost of the Iran war. Trump said Khanna had complained that “we spent 25 billion on Iran,” adding: “What he didn’t say is in Venezuela, we have made about ten times that amount.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has hit back at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after he said the war on Iran has added more than 100 billion euros ($112bn) to Europe’s energy costs.
In a post on X, Araghchi noted that Merz had “hailed” the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran in June of last year, when he said: “This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.”
The Iranian foreign minister then warned that any renewed attacks could come at a far higher cost for Europe.
“100bn Euro is nothing compared to the Earth-shattering blow Iran’s Powerful Armed Forces will deal against those who dare harm our people,” Araghchi wrote. “Red lines are a thing of the past,” he added.
Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei has also criticised Europe’s concern over growing energy costs on Friday. “When you cheered on war crimes, did you think the fallout wouldn’t hit you, too?” he asked on X.
