President Donald Trump on Wednesday turned to a UFC fighter for validation of his stance on the war against Iran, during a meeting with mixed martial artists at the White House. The fighters are set to compete at the White House next month.
When asked why he felt optimistic about a potential deal to end the two-month-old conflict, Trump repeated boasts about Tehran's military losses and claimed it would take Iran two decades to rebuild. He then sought the opinion of fighter Justin Gaethje, who agreed with him. Trump stated, 'We're in good shape,' and added that 'very good talks' with Tehran had occurred in the last 24 hours.
Trump compared Iranian negotiators to the fighters, citing 'pride' as a factor. He also discussed the removal of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and claimed stock market highs before the war, despite near-record gasoline prices in the US due to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A Reuters report cited a US intelligence assessment suggesting the war has done little to slow Iran's nuclear capabilities. This came a day after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US bombing campaign was over, though Trump later paused a new initiative for talks.
