Trump says the United States will ultimately prevail... "If I meet Iran's supreme leader, I will be respectful"

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[Financial News] U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been at war with the Islamic Republic of Iran for about six weeks and under a ceasefire for eight weeks, said the United States would ultimately prevail diplomatically or militarily. He also said it would be an honor to meet Iran's supreme leader in the future and that he would treat him with respect.
According to CNBC and other outlets, Trump met reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C., on the 4th, local time, and discussed the Iran war and peace talks. "I think we're doing very well, but we'll have to see how we ultimately win," he said. "We could win on paper, or we could win militarily," he added. "Either way, the United States wins." Trump also said of the ceasefire talks with Iran, "The details of an agreement with Iran will be released soon, but the key point is that they cannot have nuclear weapons," and claimed that "shipping through the Strait of Hormuz will resume immediately."
Since April, Iran has been engaged in ceasefire talks with the United States, arguing that dialogue would only be possible if Israel stopped its attacks on Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian armed group in Lebanon. In response, the United States mediated ceasefires between Israel and Lebanon in April and again this month. The two governments announced on the 3rd that they had agreed to a ceasefire in southern Lebanon. However, Hezbollah formally rejected the ceasefire immediately after the announcement.
Trump said Hezbollah had "not rejected" the ceasefire, adding that "Hezbollah seems to be watching the situation." He explained that Hezbollah had first reached out to the United States to signal its willingness for a ceasefire, and said there was "progress being made" in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
Trump was also asked whether the ceasefire with Iran would end if a U.S. soldier were killed. "That would be a valid reason," he said. "If they kill U.S. troops, I would do that very quickly." The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 3rd, citing U.S. government officials, that Trump recently told aides in a private meeting that he could consider ending the ceasefire if Iran killed U.S. soldiers. According to the U.S. government, the officially tallied U.S. deaths and injuries as of April 3, five days before the ceasefire, stood at 13 and 365, respectively, since the start of the conflict.
Trump also said on the 4th that he could meet Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader. He said of Mojtaba Khamenei, "I do not necessarily want to meet him, but it would be an honor if I did," adding, "If an agreement with Iran is reached, there is a possibility of a meeting." When asked whether he could meet Mojtaba Khamenei in the United States, Trump said, "I have not heard much about that. It was not my idea; some people suggested it," and added, "If that happens, I will treat him respectfully."
In response to criticism that Mojtaba Khamenei's family had been killed in U.S. attacks, Trump said, "I probably would not be his favorite person," but added, "Mojtaba is quite an expert in some fields and has a very good reputation in fact." Trump added, "People say bad things about him, but many people say bad things about me too. Of course, not all of it is true."
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pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter