WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday confirmed that his administration maintains a direct backchannel with Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) officials, Fox News reported.
"They're good poker players, but they're dying," Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, claiming that Iran should "put up the white flag of surrender."
"I have no time schedule," Trump said. "I'm not in a hurry ... The midterms have nothing to do with my thinking."
A 60-day negotiation period under a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding is set to expire Monday, with no progress toward a broader peace agreement between the two sides. Iran claimed Sunday that it had full control of the Strait of Hormuz.
In response to the ongoing talks between Iran and Oman regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump threatened to bomb them "if Oman gets in the way."
Trump also said that Israel should not be striking Gaza right now. "We have our own relationship with Hamas. They are giving up their guns." ■
