Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei sharply criticized US President Donald Trump on Friday as the American leader considers whether to resume strikes against Iran, accusing him of repeatedly declaring victories that do not exist.
In a social media post apparently directed at Trump, Rezaei described him as “the worst president in American history" and said his rhetoric had “outrun his own fantasies."
“You can win every day in your own imagination. But reality is shaped by Iran - by its people, its soldiers, and its missiles," he wrote.
Rezaei’s comments came after Trump said Thursday that Iran is “ready to fold up" and again predicted that the conflict could conclude shortly after the November midterm elections.
Speaking at an event in Texas, Trump said, “We have a war going on with a country that will never have a nuclear weapon and is ready to fold up. We'll win very easily right now. I believe right after the election we'll win, but maybe before the election."
Trump also reiterated that Iran had been “three to four weeks away, maybe sooner" from obtaining a nuclear weapon when the war began at the end of February. “And if they have a nuclear weapon, the whole game is over.."
He said the conflict would end “one way or the other...either they'll do something very proper and smart or they won't be around very long, which is, you know, frankly, I hate to see that, but they won't be around very long."
Trump said Wednesday that Washington was approaching a decision on how to proceed and indicated that the options included additional military action or reaching an agreement with Tehran.
Asked in the Oval Office how an agreement could be reached with Iranian leaders whom he has repeatedly called “crazy," Trump said, “Maybe you blow them up. Maybe you blow them up. We have to make that decision. We blow them up, make a deal. But the time is coming. It's going to end very soon, one way or the other. "
The latest exchange followed Iran’s announcement that it had received a new US response concerning efforts to restore a ceasefire in the Gulf. Trump said over the weekend that he had rejected an Iranian proposal.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)