President Donald Trump has said that the confrontation with Iran is nearing an end and declared that Tehran's nuclear ambitions would be stopped "one way or the other." Speaking at an agriculture roundtable in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on Friday (local time), Trump said the United States had already largely achieved its objective of preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear-armed state.
"We had to extinguish a nuclear weapon...," Trump said. "We weren't going to let that happen." "We've largely finished that, you'll see, and one way or the other, it's finished," he added. "It's either finished with a piece of paper or finished a more difficult way."
Trump did not provide details on any ongoing negotiations or possible military actions. However, he suggested that developments involving Iran would soon become clearer. The President also linked the situation to energy markets and costs faced by American farmers.
"Your fertiliser prices are going to go way down," Trump told the gathering. "Your fertiliser's down, your energy's down, your oil and your gas is all coming way down." Trump said he expected the outcome of the Iran situation to help ease economic pressures.
"We're at a point, we're going to come out of Iran very quickly, and it's going to be very strong," he said. The remarks came during a wide-ranging speech focused largely on agriculture, trade and the economy. Trump repeatedly argued that lower energy prices would benefit farmers and rural communities.
He also referenced military operations against Iran, claiming significant damage had been inflicted on Iranian naval assets. "With Iran, they have no Navy," Trump said. "159 ships in four days." He described the operation as evidence of US military strength and said the blockade imposed during the conflict was unprecedented.
"There's never been a blockade like that," he said. Trump returned to the issue near the end of the event, saying his administration was still addressing "unfinished business" involving Iran. "We're straightening out a little unfinished business in Iran," he said.