Trump: Very low chance US returns to war with Iran

US President Donald Trump said Sunday evening that there is a "very low likelihood" he will order the American military to return to war with Iran, as long as both sides continue negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

"It all depends on whether they sign a very strong deal," Trump told CNN when asked whether the US would resume the intense strikes. "The answer is we probably won't need to. They're a failing nation. If we need to, we'll do it, but we've already hit them really hard, both militarily and financially. As a result, there's a very low likelihood we'll need to do it again. They really want to reach a deal."

Trump went on to claim that "Iran now has only about 10 percent of its missile capacity left, and 15 percent of its drone capability. They no longer have anti-aircraft missiles, they can only produce a few more missiles and drones. Their air defense systems have been completely destroyed."

Despite this assessment, Trump made clear that American forces remain ready to strike if necessary. "We're ready for it," he warned. "I have three aircraft carriers here, and they're fully armed and ready."

Trump also revealed that the US has already identified targets for strikes inside Iran, including power stations and bridges. "We have 38 bridges targeted, and we can take them all down within one hour," he stated. "But I still prefer to avoid that. It would take them at least ten years to rebuild them. I don't like destroying bridges, because the hardest thing to build is a bridge. It takes years."