Trump: US paused Iran talks to let Khamenei funeral proceed

US President Donald Trump said on Friday evening that Tehran is eager to settle with Washington, adding that the US had paused negotiations to allow for the slain former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral processions, which officially began in Iran. Speaking at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, Trump touted the country's military record.

Claims of Iranian eagerness

“We created the strongest and most powerful military. We won two world wars,” he said, claiming that the Cold War had left America's enemies “in the depths of history.” Referring to recent conflicts, Trump said: “We beat Venezuela in one day, and we knocked the hell out of Iran; they're dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave him a week off for a funeral because we're nice.” He also hailed the milestone anniversary and argued that “at 250 years, America is the oldest republic on Earth.”

Domestic warnings

Trump warned of what he described as a renewed ideological threat at home, saying: “There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land.” He called communism “a mortal threat to American liberty” and “the greatest threat to our country, including World War One, World War Two, Pearl Harbor, or even 9/11.” He added: “We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms,” and said scrapping the filibuster and passing the “Save America Act” would ensure Republicans “will not lose an election for 100 years.”