White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller said President Donald Trump is directly involved in negotiations with Iran and described the administration’s blockade of Iranian ports as a move that is “resetting the entire global order” Wednesday on “Hannity.”
“I can confirm that President Trump is very much involved in negotiations as commander in chief, along, of course, with the negotiating team that he assembled that has done such an incredible job to this point in time,” he said.
Miller said Trump wants peace and stability, but also that he’s been clear America is not to be trifled with and that a nuclear-armed Tehran is off the table.
The U.S. holds all the cards and Iran has none, he continued, saying an American military operation could wipe out Iran’s energy infrastructure “for generations.” But that remains a last resort.
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“[Trump has] made clear he doesn’t want to do that. He wants Iran to choose the right path to make a deal. This embargo is squeezing the economic life out of the Iranian regime, and the United States has the capacity to continue this indefinitely if Iran chooses the wrong path.”
Miller framed the current U.S. naval blockade as the result of Iran’s failure to strike a deal, stating, “President Trump is a man who doesn’t bluff.”
“After the ceasefire, President Trump said, ‘Make a deal.’ The Iranian terms were not satisfactory, and so President Trump flipped the tables on Iran and implemented this naval blockade,” he said.
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He pointed to the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites during Operation Midnight Hammer and the crippling of Iran’s military infrastructure in Operation Epic Fury as three recent examples of Trump punishing belligerence after negotiations failed.
He also called the absence of support from NATO “incredibly disappointing,” arguing that military action in Iran benefits the free world at large and pointing out that a nuclear-armed Iran with long-range ballistic missiles is a direct threat to every capital in Europe.
Despite the lack of support from European allies, Trump’s goals remain unchanged, said Miller.
“He wants peace. He wants a deal. He wants Iran to choose the right path. But he will not allow Iran to pursue or achieve nuclear weapons. And this embargo and every other option is on the table as President Trump seeks that final, safe, secure outcome for the people of the world.”
