The Saudi TV channel Al-Hadath reported, citing its sources, that US assessments suggest Washington has only about a year before it will be forced to take action against Iran's nuclear program.
Citing its sources, the report stated that "Washington does not want to give Tehran the opportunity to rebuild its power."
In light of this concern, the same sources said the Trump administration is working to persuade China to refrain from purchasing Iranian oil. According to the report, in response to these efforts, China expressed interest in acquiring oil at a discounted price as a means of halting its purchases from the Iranian regime.
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh declared that "Tehran is in no hurry to enter any form of indirect contact or negotiating framework with the US." According to Khatibzadeh, "An escalation in tensions is always possible when the other side is Israel and the US."
At the same time, Iran's Armed Forces Commander, Gen. Amir Hatami, said that "threats from Israel still persist." He stated, "Any threat of 1% must be treated as a 100% threat. We must not underestimate the enemy or view its threats as meaningless." He added that "the Islamic Republic's drone and missile forces remain in operational readiness."
About three weeks ago, President Trump voiced support for another Israeli strike on Iran should Tehran resume efforts to develop nuclear weapons. In a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he hoped there would be no need to bomb again, but agreed to Israel's plan for potential future strikes if necessary.
