Trump’s comments came after a heated thread on the president’s twitter, where he threatened Tehran with "obliteration" after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the White House of suffering from a "mental disability."
“You’re not going to need an exit strategy," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, prompting laughter. "I don’t need exit strategies.”
Reporter: Do you have an exit strategy if war breaks out with Iran?
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) June 25, 2019
Trump: “You’re not going to need an exit strategy. I don’t need exit strategies” pic.twitter.com/7Cqe0DbH58
“We would love to be able to negotiate a deal if they want to. If they don’t want to, that’s fine, too,” Trump added. “But we would love to be able to, and frankly, they might as well do it soon.”
Relations between Tehran and Washington deteriorated recently after Iran downed a drone, which Tehran says violated its airspace. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif later published maps with data from the radar, proving Tehran's point.
Washington insists that its drone was flying over neutral waters of the Strait of Hormuz when it was destroyed, releasing maps of its own. The US was planning to launch strikes against three Iranian targets in response to the downing, but President Trump stopped it mere minutes before the start.
