Afghanistan, June 9 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said the American naval blockade of Iran has proven more effective than military strikes, arguing that economic pressure has inflicted significant damage on Tehran and pushed it closer to negotiations.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday while departing New York for Washington, Trump said he believes the United States is "very close" to reaching a deal with Iran and credited the combination of military action and economic pressure for creating momentum toward an agreement.
Trump said that while continued bombing could have caused further destruction inside Iran, a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have posed a major threat to global trade and energy markets.
"What proved very ...