Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said in a conversation with a group of journalists that Washington has won the war against the Islamic Republic and that the only issue now is to “end the war right now or later.” He added that the United States may wait, because some of Iran’s neighbors prefer the current situation to continue.

By referring to the naval blockade and the implementation of the “Iron Gate” operation, Trump said the Islamic Republic is facing severe financial problems and does not even pay the salaries of military forces and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

He also said the United States could target bridges and Iran’s power plants, but would prefer not to do so, because rebuilding that infrastructure would take years and would place heavy pressure on the people.

Trump once again emphasized that the Islamic Republic will never obtain nuclear weapons and said the United States is monitoring Iran’s nuclear facilities’ activities, including Mount Keleng.

He also, in defending his decision to attack Iran, said that if he were put in the same situation again, he would make the same decision and believes that this action will be assessed positively in history.