Donald Trump issues Iran with chilling ultimatum – ‘We’ll finish the job’ | World | News
Donald Trump has issued another major ultimatum to Iran, warning that “we will finish the job” if Tehran does not accept US terms to end the war or at least reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Trump was speaking to reporters on the White House lawn before embarking on a trip to China.
The US President said he would have a “long conversation” with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about the Iran war, but made clear that “Iran is largely under control.” China and Iran are close allies, and Xi’s country is the largest buyer of Iranian oil. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Trump continued to insist that “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” adding: “Iran will either do the right thing or we will finish the job.”
The visit, scheduled for May 13-15, will be the first by a sitting U.S. president to China in almost a decade.
Just yesterday, Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was “on life support” after calling Tehran’s response to a US peace proposal “stupid”.
He said: “I’d say it’s the weakest at the moment after reading that crap they sent us – I haven’t even finished reading it.
“I would say the ceasefire was on massive life support where the doctor walked in and said: ‘Sir, your loved one has about a 1% chance of survival.'”
The 79-year-old leader added that he was considering whether to restart US Navy military escorts to ships in the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to end Iran’s blockade of the key waterway through which 20 percent of global oil trade passes.
Major General Muhammad Ali Jafari, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said: “There will be no further negotiations unless the war on all fronts ends, sanctions are lifted, blocked funds are released, war damages are compensated, and Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is recognized.”
Last week, just two days later, President Trump announced he was pausing the “Freedom Project” “for a short period of time to see if the deal can be completed and signed.”
The project would involve the US military “guiding” merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media derided the move, calling it a “retreat” after what it described as Mr. Trump’s repeated failure to deploy U.S. naval power to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
