Evian, June 17 -- US President Donald Trump on Wednesday attributed the peace deal with Tehran to a long-term strategy and asserted that the deal would not be possible without his decision to authorise the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.

Soleimani was killed in airstrikes launched by Washington at Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.

Describing the deceased Iranian commander as a "mad genius", President Trump argued that this military action set the stage for the current diplomatic opening.

"All the tough guys, tough guys don't realise that this wasn't a 3-month deal. This was years in the making. You know why? Because I was the one who killed General Soleimani," the President stated during a press conference at ...