United States President Donald Trump has downplayed any role for China in resolving the conflict with Iran, insisting Washington will prevail regardless of outside involvement.
Speaking to reporters at the White House ahead of a planned visit to China, where he is expected to meet Xi Jinping, Trump rejected the idea that Beijing could assist in negotiations.
“No, I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other. We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise,” he said.
Trump also claimed the United States had effectively dismantled Iran’s military capabilities.
“Their navy’s gone, their air force is gone, every single element of their war machine is gone.”
He avoided giving a clear answer when asked whether he has a “red line” that could collapse the ceasefire, saying the issue remains under consideration.
“Well, we’re going to see, and we’ll be thinking about it on the flight [to China], and we’ll be thinking about it for the next little while,” he said before departing Washington, DC.
The president repeated his assertion that US forces had defeated Iran’s military “very soundly”, and claimed the blockade of Iranian ports had been “100 percent effective”.
“One way or another, it’s going to work out very well,” he added.
