In his fresh remark, United States President Donald Trump claimed to have stopped eight wars, adding that he would ‘love his legacy’ to be made as a peacemaker, once again, including India-Pakistan’s military conflict of last year. Trump also stated that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was a condition for any agreement with Iran and emphasised that maritime access for oil shipments must be restored.
"We're negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up," he said during his address to the Saudi-backed Future Investment Initiative (FII) Priority Summit in Miami.
Trump reiterated his claim that he helped stop eight wars, including those between Armenia and Azerbaijan; the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda; Cambodia and Thailand; Egypt and Ethiopia; Serbia and Kosovo; Israel and Hamas.
"I would love my legacy to be made as a great peacemaker because I really believe I am a peacemaker. It doesn't seem like it right now, but I think I am a peacemaker," Trump said.
"I even stopped India and Pakistan, and they were going at it for a week.. nine planes already shot down. They were in a war. I stopped them. How did I stop them? I said, if you keep fighting, I'm going to put a 250 per cent tariff on each one," the US President once again claimed.
"No, no, no, you cannot do that. I said, I'm doing it. All right, we won't fight anymore. That's how I stopped them." Trump said.
Iran’s a bully — Trump
Trump jokingly referred to the Strait of Hormuz as the "Strait of Trump" during his remarks before correcting himself, later saying the comment was not accidental. He then described Iran as a longstanding force shaping instability in the Middle East but said its position had weakened under the US military operation Epic Fury.
"For 47 years, Iran has been known as the bully of the Middle East, but they are not the bully any longer. They're on the run," he said, adding that Iran's leadership, armed forces, and nuclear program had suffered damage during the operation.
"NATO is a paper tiger. And I always said we help NATO, but they never help us. And if the big one ever happened, and I don't think it will, but if the big one ever happened, I guarantee you they wouldn't be there."
Trump reiterated that if the US had not "knocked the hell" out of Iran, the country would have had a nuclear weapon "within two to four weeks" despite his insistence that the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites last year set its programs back years.
Cuba — next target?
"They would have used it on you, and on Israel, and on everyone else," he said, addressing the Saudi attendees. The president also hinted at potential action against Cuba.
"And Cuba is next by the way, but pretend I didn't say that," he said.
"Please, please, please, media, disregard that statement. Thank you very much. Cuba’s next," Trump added.
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