‘Nice Way Or Not-So-Nice Way’: Trump Says He Will End Iran War, Claims Military ‘Shot’

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that the Iran war will be brought to an end, saying the only question is whether it happens the "nice way" or the "not-so-nice way", while claiming that Iran's military has been severely weakened. 

Speaking at Sparrows Point in Maryland, where he announced the construction of a new shipyard as part of efforts to expand the US maritime industrial base, Trump said that the US was doing "extremely well" in Iran, while describing the Islamic Republic as the former "bully of the Middle East".  

"We're doing extremely well in the Islamic Republic of Iran, very well. They have no military. It's shot; the whole place is shot. And they were the evil one. They were the bully of the Middle East. They're not so much the bully anymore, but we have to finish up. And it's only a question of which way do we want to do it, the nice way or the not-so-nice way? And pretty soon you'll find out," Trump said. 

According to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the new shipyard project will be "the largest US shipyard since World War II". The project involves a USD 3.7 billion investment from Anduril Industries alongside a USD 2.9 billion contribution from the US Navy. 

Trump also said the US would maintain its position as the world's leading naval power following the announcement. "With the help of everyone here today, America is going to remain the undisputed naval superpower of the world," he said. 

Referring to the US military blockade on Iranian maritime traffic in Hormuz, Trump said, "When I see the wall of steel, which is what it is, that we've done, they call it a blockade, I call it the wall of steel. Not one ship has gotten through to Iran. The only ships that go through are the ones that we let go through, and it's had a huge impact." 

Trump also said the US Navy was ensuring that Iran would not obtain a nuclear weapon. "Our Navy is leading the way in ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and that's something we've been saying. That will never happen; that will never happen. That's already fait accompli," he said. 

Trump's latest comments follow remarks he made on Saturday, when he said Washington would take a decision on Iran and described the possible outcome as either the "easy way" or the "hard way". 

"We have a decision that I'll make about Iran. Iran's been decimated. So the only question is, it'll either be the easy way or the hard way. We'll have it the easy way or the hard way," Trump had told reporters outside the White House.