The White House declared a military victory over Iran on Wednesday and said President Trump will not accept a final deal that violates any of his red lines or keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed to oil shipping traffic.
“The world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Ms. Leavitt said negotiators will use a two-week ceasefire to “put some fine points” on a final agreement that achieves long-term peace.
She said ending Iran’s uranium enrichment program is a key point that must be included in a final deal, and she warned media outlets not to accept Iranian talking points. There were reports that Iran and the U.S. had put forward conflicting demands for a peace agreement.
“The idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd,” Ms. Leavitt said. “The president will only make a deal that serves the best interests of the United States of America.”
Ms. Leavitt also responded to reports that Iran would re-close the Strait of Hormuz over Israel’s ongoing attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
“That is completely unacceptable. What they’re saying publicly is different [from what they say] privately. We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today,” she said.
More broadly, Ms. Leavitt’s comments signaled a wind-down of military operations.
“This is a victory for the United States of America that the president and our incredible military made happen,” Ms. Leavitt said.
She said the military operation annihilated Iran’s navy, crushed its missile program and its drone capabilities, and dismantled the regime’s ability to make weapons that were deployed in terror campaigns around the world.
Most importantly, she said, Iran will not be able to acquire a nuclear weapon.
