‘Don’t rush me…’: US President Trump refuses to set timeline for ending conflict with Iran

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) said he would not set any deadline for ending the conflict with Iran, stating “don’t rush me” while claiming that Iran’s military capabilities have been severely weakened.

He asserted that Iran is in a weakened position militarily and economically, and said he is in no hurry to conclude talks, adding that Tehran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, when asked how long he is willing to wait until he gets a response from Iran, Trump said, “Don’t rush me… I have been doing this for 6 weeks. Their military is totally defeated… They have boats running around with guns in them; we will take them out, too, when we see them. Their Navy and Air Force are gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone… Their leaders are all gone. Part of the problem is that they have lost their leadership, and they are fighting like cats and dogs. So who is going to control?… Soleimani was a brilliant general. Probably we would not have been that far advanced had I not taken him out.”

“Don’t rush me.”

President Trump shuts down a reporter questioning him about the timeline of Operation Epic Fury:

“Outside of the little wise guy ships, I call him the wise guy ships. The little boats that they have running around with guns in them… the Navy is gone… Maybe… pic.twitter.com/czx9RVAgpi

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 23, 2026

He also criticised the previous Iran nuclear deal, asserting that it paved the way for Tehran to develop nuclear weapons, while claiming that Iran is currently under severe economic and military pressure and is seeking negotiations with the United States.

“I ended the nuclear transaction that Obama made… The Iran nuclear deal was so bad that it gave them a road to a nuclear weapon… They cannot have the nuclear bomb, and they are not going to have it… We stopped because they wanted to have some peace. We have a blockade that is 100% effective… They are not doing well economically and financially… They want to make a deal. We have been speaking to them, but they don’t even know who is leading the country… They have been obliterated”, he said. (ANI)