Trump hints at US strike on Iran as talks stall
File photo: REUTERS
US President Donald Trump said the war with Iran will conclude “very soon, one way or the other”, telling reporters inside the Oval Office that Washington must choose to “blow them up or make a deal”.
Following the stall in discussions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his delegation to depart from New York, according to a report by Axios. As a result, Araghchi flew to Doha, where Qatar continues to mediate between the parties.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed military leaders at the Quantico Marine base outside Washington, DC, that American forces have “destroyed” Iran’s navy, air force, defense systems, leadership, and military-industrial capacity, while also crippling its nuclear ambitions. Moreover, Trump announced that the final American troops have departed from Iraq.
In Britain, Prime Minister Andy Burnham disclosed during a BBC interview on Wednesday that authorities detected “strong indications” implicating Iran in a suspected security plot targeting RAF Fairford, a Royal Air Force base that the United States uses.
While Tehran firmly denies the allegation, British law enforcement arrested five British men in their 20s near the airbase on Sunday under suspicion of “terrorism” and explosives offenses, releasing them on bail the following day.
Burnham said, “There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex and serious police investigation,” emphasizing that British officials are working closely with their counterparts in the United States.
Although he did not disclose specific details for suspecting Iranian involvement, he promised that he would “update people more in due course”.
Source: Al Jazeera and Gulf News (adapted)
