WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said Friday that he believes Iran wants an agreement with Washington but is still not prepared to accept the “right deal,” as the United States intensifies economic pressure on Tehran.“They would love to make a deal, but they’re not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One for a trip to South Carolina, where he was scheduled to attend a rally.Trump rejected suggestions that the escalation of economic measures against Tehran indicated that Washington’s military options were limited, saying the United States would wait to assess the impact of the measures on Iran’s already strained economy after nearly six months of war.“They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force, they are not paying their soldiers, they’re not paying their police. They have 350% inflation,” Trump said, making a series of claims about Iran’s economic and military conditions.The US president also claimed that Washington maintains “complete control” over the area surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, including the strategic waterway and nearby territory in southern Iran.Despite Trump’s remarks, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains sharply below prewar levels amid continued security risks and attacks on vessels in regional waters.The UK Maritime Trade Operations said Friday that traffic through the strait remained about 90% below levels recorded before the war.Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending hostilities and restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, efforts to implement the agreement later stalled amid disputes over its terms and the future of navigation through the strategic waterway.The conflict began in late February with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran responded with attacks against targets in Israel and US military bases across the region.
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