Trump says Iran eager to reach deal as US pauses talks for Khamenei funeral

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Tehran was eager to reach a settlement with Washington, adding that the United States had temporarily paused negotiations to allow for the funeral ceremonies of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which officially began in Iran.Speaking at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, known as America 250, Trump praised the country’s military achievements.”We created the strongest and most powerful military. We won two world wars,” he said, adding that the Cold War had consigned America’s enemies “to the depths of history.”Referring to recent conflicts, Trump said: “We beat Venezuela in one day, and we knocked the hell out of Iran; they’re dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave him a week off for a funeral because we’re nice.”Trump also hailed the country’s milestone anniversary, saying: “At 250 years, America is the oldest republic on Earth. We are the freest people on Earth. We have the most righteous and enduring constitution on Earth.”He added: “No one has ever given more to charity, ended more hunger, cured more disease, or done more to uplift humanity than Americans.”Turning to domestic issues, Trump warned of what he described as a growing ideological threat within the United States.”There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success,” he said.Calling communism “a mortal threat to American liberty,” Trump argued it posed “the greatest threat to our country, including World War One, World War Two, Pearl Harbor, or even 9/11.””America will never be a communist country,” he said before shifting to electoral politics. “We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms,” he said, adding that eliminating the filibuster and passing the “Save America Act” would ensure Republicans “will not lose an election for 100 years.”