Trump softens tone on Iran, says ’maybe attack won’t be necessary’

US President Donald Trump (file photo)

Amid US military preparations and counter-threats surrounding Iran, US President Donald Trump has indicated that he wants to avoid war. He said that he does not want the situation to reach a point where military force has to be used. However, he admitted at the same time that talks are underway with Iran and that he hopes that a large fleet will not be used even if it is sent to the Middle East.

According to a report by The Hindu, Donald Trump said that he hopes that there will be no need to take military action against Iran. He said this on Thursday. Earlier, Iran had warned that if the US attacks, it will hit US bases and aircraft carriers.

Trump said that he is talking to Iran and the possibility of avoiding military action is also open. Earlier, he warned that the US is sending a large fleet and that time is 'running out' for Tehran. Asked about talks with Iran, Trump told reporters, “I’ve talked before, I’m talking now, I plan to talk in the future.”

“We have a team going to a place called Iran, and hopefully we won’t have to use it,” Trump told reporters at the premiere of a documentary about his wife Melania Trump.

This week, as rhetoric from Brussels and Washington has become increasingly harsh and Iran has made increasingly serious threats, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for nuclear talks to avert a regional catastrophe.

An Iranian military spokesman warned that Tehran’s response to any US action would not be limited. He said it would be faster and more severe than in June last year. Brigadier General Mohammad Akramian told state television that US aircraft carriers have “serious vulnerabilities” and that many US bases in the Gulf are within range of Iran’s medium-range missiles.

“If the Americans miscalculate, the situation will not be as Trump thinks,” he said. “You can’t do a quick strike and tweet two hours later and say it’s over.”

A Gulf official told AFP that the threat of a US attack on Iran was now “very clear.” “It would destabilize the entire region, not just the US economy, but also the US economy, and would send oil and gas prices skyrocketing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Iranian President Masoud Pajhwok spoke by phone. The Qatar News Agency said they discussed efforts to reduce tensions and restore stability. The European Union has also designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a “terrorist organization” after a recent crackdown on protesters.