Trump Repeats Threat to Decimate Iran as Middle East Talks Stall

President Trump reiterated threats to decimate Iran if it does not agree to a deal to resolve the conflict before leaving Washington on Tuesday. As he arrived in China on Wednesday, U.S. negotiations to end the conflict in the Middle East have stalled.

American-Israeli military objectives in the war appear to be out of reach. Trump told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that the United States has Iran very much under control. He repeated a threat to decimate Iran unless its leaders agree to a deal on the country's nuclear program.

The two countries have been unable to agree on constraints on Iran's nuclear enrichment. The president also addressed the growing economic impact of the conflict as Iran's de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz affects global energy markets. "The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said on Tuesday.

"I don't think about Americans' financial situation. " Iranian state media reported this week that in response to a U.S. proposal to end the war, Iran had demanded that the United States recognize its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, end sanctions and pay war reparations.

The sides remain unable to reach agreement on limits to Iran's nuclear activities. The status of broader efforts to end the regional conflict remains unclear.

Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz have rattled global energy markets. Officials have not detailed the full extent of the economic impact on the United States or its allies. The president indicated that nuclear concerns take precedence over financial considerations.