‘The American people want us to come home’:
Washington: US President Donald Trump has sent a strong signal that he will curb his maximalist ambitions in favor of a ceasefire, saying Americans want their troops to return home from Iran, even as he prefers to launch a mission to seize the country’s oil.
Speaking ahead of a press conference on the war, Trump suggested he would launch air strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges if the Islamic Republic does not agree to an acceptable deal by the end of Tuesday (US time).
But in remarks that showed his reluctance to push public boundaries, the president said he did not think Americans would understand the logic of an “oil take” mission that required ground forces.
“If I had a choice, what would I want to do? Take the oil because they’re there to take it, there’s nothing they can do about it,” Trump told reporters during an Easter ceremony at the White House.
“Unfortunately, the American people would like us to come home. If it were up to me, I would buy the oil, I would keep the oil, and we would make a lot of money. I would also take better care of the Iranian people than they are taken care of.”
Asked how he knew Americans would oppose such an initiative, Trump said, “I’m pretty good at this stuff and I go around checking it out. They want to see us win and go home.”
He then referenced a CNN poll that showed he had 100 percent support among self-identified MAGA voters.
“If it were up to me, I’d want to keep the oil; I don’t think the American people would really understand that… They support what we’re doing, but they want it to end and [our troops] come back.”
Trump also argued that Iranian people support the US-Israeli bombing campaign because they want to get rid of the oppressive theocratic regime in Tehran.
“Iranian people get upset when they don’t hear bombs going off. They want to hear about bombs because they want to be free,” he said.
The President was due to hold a press conference at 1pm Washington time (3pm AEST). As the clock ticked towards the deadline, Iran rejected a 45-day ceasefire offer made through Pakistani mediators and demanded guarantees that it would not face further attacks.
“We will not just accept a ceasefire,” said Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo. Associated Press. “We accept the end of the war only with the guarantee that we will not be attacked again.”
The rejection came as Israel attacked a key petrochemical facility in its major natural gas field in South Pars, killing two paramilitary Revolutionary Guard commanders.
Reuters via AP
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
