Trump Says U.S. Could Be an Occupying Force in Iran as Talks Continue

U.S. President Donald Trump said overnight on November 7 that discussions with Iran were continuing, while suggesting the United States could be described as an occupying force rather than as being at war. His remarks addressed the continuing confrontation with Tehran and American strikes, without announcing an agreement to end it. Asked about strikes on Qeshm Island, Trump described the American attacks as small. He said an Iranian anti-aircraft facility had been destroyed and gave an approximate duration of 15 minutes, then suggested it might have taken five. Those comments were his account of the operation, rather than an independently verified assessment of the damage or a date for a new attack. Trump also referred to the blockade of Iran and said the United States had needed to destroy anti-aircraft equipment the Iranians had built. On diplomacy, he said, “We are talking with the Iranians,” and indicated that the outcome remained to be seen. He combined that acknowledgment of contacts with his account of continued military pressure. The remarks followed a November 6 statement in which Trump claimed his actions to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon had saved Israel and the wider Middle East. That earlier statement presented his own assessment of the consequences for Israel; the overnight comments focused on how he characterized the confrontation and on continuing discussions with Tehran.