Washington, May 1: President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran has been "significantly weakened" and is eager to negotiate, even as tensions remain high over its nuclear program.

“Iran is dying to make a deal,” Trump said, while reiterating that Tehran “cannot be nuclear.”

He claimed US military action had sharply degraded Iran’s capabilities. “Their Navy is gone. Their Air Force is gone… their drone factories are about 82 per cent down,” he said.

Trump added that missile production had also been hit. “Their missile factories are almost 90 per cent down,” he said.

He described the US operation as decisive. “We obliterated that nuclear capacity of theirs,” he said.

Trump also suggested leadership instability within Iran. “We have a problem because nobody knows for sure who the leaders are,” he said.

Despite ongoing tensions, he pointed to strong US economic indicators. “We just hit a new high today on the stock market,” he said.

Trump said only a limited group was aware of the status of negotiations. “Nobody knows what the talks are except myself and a couple of other people,” he said.

He indicated that economic pressure remained central to US strategy. “They're not getting any money from oil… the blockade is incredible,” he said.

Also Read: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump Discuss Iran and Ukraine in Long Call

Trump framed the conflict as necessary to prevent nuclear proliferation. “You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

He also suggested that Iran’s economic condition was deteriorating. “Their economy is crashing,” he said.

The situation has significant implications for global energy markets, particularly oil prices, which are sensitive to developments in the Middle East.

India, which has historically imported oil from Iran, closely watches such developments due to their direct impact on energy security.

(IANS)