US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) argued that his political rivals and sections of the media would continue to portray Iran as the winner even in a hypothetical scenario where Tehran suffered a complete military defeat and formally surrendered to the United States. In a post, Trump described an imagined situation in which Iran's naval and air capabilities had been wiped out, its military forces had abandoned Tehran, and the country's leadership had signed official surrender documents acknowledging defeat at the hands of the United States. According to Trump, despite such an outcome, critics would still attempt to frame the situation as a victory for Iran.

He claimed that major media organizations would report the conflict as a significant Iranian success, regardless of the circumstances he outlined. Trump also criticized several news outlets and accused them of unfairly interpreting developments involving the United States. He further took aim at Democrats, arguing that both the media and his political opponents had become disconnected from reality in their assessment of international events.

"The media and Democrats would still claim Iran came out on top, even after a complete surrender," Trump suggested, accusing them of consistently presenting events in a way that undermines American achievements. Trump expressed confidence about ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Tehran. He said he expects progress toward extending the current truce and restoring shipping activity through a key maritime route in the Middle East within the coming week.

Speaking to ABC News, Trump revealed that he has not yet given final approval to a proposed Memorandum of Understanding aimed at reopening the strategically important shipping corridor, saying a few issues still need to be resolved. His comments followed an earlier statement on Monday in which he said negotiations with Iran were advancing quickly despite recent military exchanges between the two sides.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote that talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran were continuing "at a rapid pace." The diplomatic process remains fragile. The ceasefire, established nearly two months ago after weeks of conflict, has come under renewed pressure following retaliatory strikes exchanged by US and Iranian forces over the weekend and into Monday. The latest hostilities have raised concerns that the truce could unravel, potentially jeopardizing ongoing diplomatic efforts between the two countries.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.