Trump says Iran is ready to negotiate a ceasefire but he's not ready to make a deal
Key Takeaways
- Iran is willing to negotiate a ceasefire.
- Trump won't make a deal yet because terms aren't good enough.
- Trump is coordinating with other countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump on Iran deal terms
Trump told NBC in a nearly 30-minute telephone interview that he is not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran because the terms aren’t good enough yet.
“President Donald Trump said Saturday that he’s not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran despite the country’s willingness to do so “because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” but declined to say what those terms would be”
He said any settlement would have to be very solid and that a commitment from Iran to abandon nuclear ambitions would be part of it, though he would not detail the specifics.
He described ongoing discussions with other countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid surging global oil prices and he previewed what the rest of the U.S. military operation in Iran could look like.
Military actions and casualties
The conflict began with joint Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, with Iran retaliating by striking Israel and U.S. targets in nearby countries.
The U.S. Central Command said it conducted precision strikes on 90 military targets while preserving the oil infrastructure.
Trump said Kharg Island was totally demolished and that it could be hit again.
Thirteen active U.S. service personnel have died since the conflict began, including six U.S. crew members who died Friday after their military refueling plane crashed in Iraq.
Securing Hormuz by allies
Trump said he is asking numerous countries affected by Iran’s thuggery to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as global oil prices rise, and he said several countries have committed to the effort but declined to name them.
“President Donald Trump said Saturday that he’s not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran despite the country’s willingness to do so “because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” but declined to say what those terms would be”
In a Truth Social post he stated that many countries especially those affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait will be sending ships to keep the Strait open and safe.
He said it is not clear whether Iran has dropped mines into the strait and that sweeping the strait will be done with possible participation by other countries.
He also confirmed that U.S. forces carried out strikes on Kharg Island, a site that hosts a major oil terminal.
Leadership uncertainty and geopolitics
Trump questioned whether Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive after he did not appear on camera to issue his first statement, calling the reports of his death a rumor.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Khamenei was wounded and likely disfigured and dismissed his written statement as weak.
In broader remarks, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as far more difficult to make a deal with than Vladimir Putin and urged Zelenskyy to make a deal because Putin is willing.
He also suggested Russia may be sharing intelligence with Iran about U.S. forces, noting that the United States is providing some information to Ukraine in return.
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