US President Donald Trump said that his administration is dealing calmly with Iran, indicating its willingness to intensify economic pressure instead of resorting to a new broad military operation. He added, in a phone call with Axios, that his administration is “dealing with the matter calmly,” saying: “We are negotiating with them only on a limited basis.” Trump stressed that Iran is "in a very bad economic situation," pointing out that it does not have sufficient funds to pay the salaries of its forces, and at the same time explaining that the American naval blockade has contributed to the exacerbation of the economic crisis facing the Iranian regime. He considered that the negotiations with Iran “will end well,” adding: “They always end well, it is like a game of chess.”