US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters on Saturday as the US and Iran were holding talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, saying that the US has won regardless of what happens in the talks.
“We're going to see what happens. We're in very deep negotiations with Iran. We win regardless," Trump said, adding, “We've defeated them militarily. They've dropped a couple of water mines."
He clarified, “Let me just tell you, we win, no matter what. We've defeated their military, they have no Navy, 158 ships are underwater, undersea, all of their minesweepers and all of their, they call them mine droppers. Can you imagine, a country has 28 mine droppers, you think that's nice? With all of that being said, they're all defeated, by the way, they're all at the bottom of the sea."
“They have no Navy, they have no radar, they have no air force, their leaders are all dead. Khamenei is gone. For many years, he ruled, he's gone. With all of that, let's see what happens, but from my standpoint, I don't care."
Trump also was asked about reports that China is planning to deliver air defense systems to Iran and replied, “If China does that, China is gonna have big problems."
His comments came after US intelligence sources said, according to CNN, that China was planning to send shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs to Tehran through third parties over the next few weeks in an attempt to hide the shady weapons transfer.
Trump’s comments came before Vice President JD Vance said that talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan had concluded after 21 hours without an agreement after Iran did not accept Washington’s terms for an agreement.
"We've been at it now for 21 hours, and we've had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That's the good news," he said. "The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America."
He added, "So we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement."
Vance emphasized that the United States had clearly communicated its positions during the negotiations.
"We've made very clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to accommodate them on, and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on. And we've made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms," the Vice President said.