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U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran's economic situation is "not sustainable," defending his strategy in the ongoing war with Iran and laying out three possible paths forward, in a pre-taped interview with the right-wing media outlet Real America's Voice.
Trump's comments focused on potential economic measures to pressure Iran amid an apparent negotiating stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the U.S. has three paths it could pursue on Iran: Continuing negotiations while maintaining pressure on Iran under the current approach, significantly increasing strikes, or further intensifying economic pressure.
He described Iranian negotiators as "tough negotiators," arguing that some understandings reached between the parties had later been publicly rejected by Iranian officials.
"Just bop along and look how bad they're doing, because they've got 300% inflation, they have no value. Their currency has almost no value. They're not paying their soldiers. Their soldiers are leaving," Trump said.
"So just keep that going because that's not sustainable," he said of potential next steps, adding that the U.S. could "hit them really, really hard."
"So 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.
Trump argued that the U.S. has control over Iran's financial resources and said economic pressure is already part of Washington's Iran policy.
Trump claimed that without the war that began in February, Iran might now possess a nuclear weapon. "I prevented Iran from having nuclear weapons," Trump claimed.
"If I hadn't, they would have nuclear weapons right now, and you'd have to call them 'sir'," he added.
Iranian officials have long denied any intention to build nuclear weapons.
Trump again denied that the U.S. is struggling with missile munitions shortages. "We're fine" and "we're building them like crazy," he said.
Trump argued that any decline in stockpiles stemmed from military aid the Biden administration provided to Ukraine.
"The main reason is that Biden provided $300 billion in support to Ukraine," Trump said.
He said his own approach to aiding Ukraine differs, saying the U.S. sells munitions and warplanes to the European Union, and that EU countries can then send the military equipment they purchase to Ukraine.
Trump claimed U.S. munitions stockpiles were full during his first presidential term and that the Biden administration largely depleted them, adding, "Obama also never spent anything on the military."
Trump dismissed concerns about inflation related to the war, suggesting that oil prices and inflation would come down "as soon as it ends."
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