Trump Says He Prefers Deal With Iran, but ‘All Options Remain on the Table’

US President Donald Trump has said he would prefer to reach an understanding with Iran, but stressed that “all options” remain on the table. Speaking to an American television network, Trump said strikes on Iran during last year’s 12-day conflict had prevented Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He also claimed that the United States inflicted a major military defeat on Iran after destroying the country’s naval and air forces, but said Washington chose not to target all Iranian military commanders in order to avoid a situation similar to Iraq in 2003. Meanwhile, the US vice president told reporters on Thursday that Washington has “not yet” reached a final agreement with Iran, although the two sides are close to one. According to several American sources, Tehran and Washington have reached a preliminary understanding on maintaining the ceasefire and easing restrictions on shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — an arrangement that still requires final approval from the US president. The US vice president said differences remain over Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and the future of its enrichment programme. “We are still discussing some wording, but we have made significant progress,” he added.