Trump says he is 'unlikely' to order Iran attack if talks progress
Donald Trump has said he is highly unlikely to order fresh attacks on Iran as long as talks to end the conflict progress. Speaking on Sunday about the possibility of further strikes on Iran, the US President said, "it depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement". He said that it is "highly unlikely" that strikes will be necessary. But he added that if strikes resume, the US has identified potential infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges "that we can knock down in literally one hour". Trump had hinted at renewing major attacks on Iran after last week's US midterm elections, but there has been no sign of a large-scale US military operation.
Iran has said it would respond by striking US and Israeli targets. Read more: UFC boss to meet with Trump over press secretary job offer Read more: Trump deserved thrashing in US mid-term election, says Kemi Badenoch Iranian media suggested that explosions in southern Iran on Saturday were related to Iranian military activities rather than US strikes. Iran's state television said officials had not confirmed any missile strikes on Iranian territory following blasts heard in several areas, including on Qeshm Island in the strait.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
LBC reports that Iranian media linked blasts, including on Qeshm Island, to Iranian military activity rather than US strikes. It also says there has been no sign of a large-scale US operation. It leaves out that Washington said on 2 November that it had struck the island, calling this a limited defensive measure. Without it a reader may take it that the US has not struck Iranian territory in recent days, and has less basis for understanding why US strikes were suspected.
How we know
- Al-Monitor reported“Washington said on November 2 that it had struck the island in a limited defensive measure against Iranians using surface-to-air missiles against US assets.”Trump says he is highly unlikely to order Iran strikes if talks progress (opens in a new tab)
Both the US and Iran have continued strikes on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, however, restricting exports of energy and other commodities vital to the world economy. Iran's state television said the evening explosions might be related to Iranian military activity in the waterway, where Iran said two vessels had hit mines and a third had caught fire. The US said its air force had disabled a vessel in the Gulf of Oman beyond the strait.
Since the US and Israel began attacks on Iran in February, Tehran has sought the upper hand by hitting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to block Gulf energy exports, while US forces began blockading movements to and from Iranian ports in April.
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