Trump Says Iran Eager for Deal With US, Talks Paused for Week for Funeral

President Donald Trump said Iran is eager to strike a deal with the US.

Speaking at the America 250 Independence Day event at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on July 3, Trump praised the US military's record. "We built the strongest military in the world, and we won two world wars," he said.

He then turned to recent geopolitical tensions, saying the US defeated Venezuela in a single day and dealt a devastating blow to Iran. Iran is now "desperately" seeking a compromise with Washington, he said. Referring to the funeral for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Trump added that the US paused negotiations for a week to allow the service to take place because "we are generous."

Trump also sharply criticized ideological conflict inside the US. He said the threat of communism is resurfacing in America, including among people who entered the country while holding beliefs that directly oppose "our way of life and our great success."

He went on to describe communism as the deadliest and greatest threat facing the country, greater than World Wars I and II, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11 attacks. The US will never become a communist country, he added.

Trump also laid out his political ambitions ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. He said Republicans would not lose the midterms unless they brought defeat on themselves. If the Senate filibuster is abolished and the Save America Act is passed, Republicans would not lose an election for the next 100 years, he said.