Trump to Arab Leaders: Iran Must Act ‘Fast’ to ‘Survive as a Nation’ — Claims Destruction of 159 Iranian Ships

U.S. President Donald Trump again threatened Iran on Tuesday, saying Tehran must act “fast” to “survive as a nation”. The remarks came during a meeting with the leaders of Gulf and Arab countries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, attended by the leaders of Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan.

“We have isolated Iran financially and we hope they will do the right thing quickly,” Trump said. “There will be more damage if they don’t make the right decision, but I believe they will survive as a nation only if they make the right decision.” He added that the U.S. is “prepared to do what is necessary to protect our people”, but expressed optimism that “there will be progress in the coming days”.

In the same meeting, Trump repeated claims that the U.S. had “destroyed” the Iranian navy: according to him, all 159 ships of the Iranian navy “were destroyed within one hour and 41 minutes”, while more than 90 percent of Iranian aircraft were hit along with 430 weapons depots. “We eliminated its air defense systems, completely destroyed its terrorist leadership and destroyed most of its missile arsenal,” he said. These are the American president’s claims; the Iranian side has not confirmed them.

The new threats follow the morning speech at the UN, where Trump said he was considering whether to “obliterate” Iran or make a deal, adding that Iran faces a choice between “potential greatness or destruction”.

Source: Al Jazeera