Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Mar 15: Donald Trump has said he is not ready to strike a deal with Iran to end the ongoing war despite indications that Tehran is willing to negotiate, stating that the terms offered so far are “not good enough”.
In a nearly 30-minute telephone interview with NBC News, Trump said any potential agreement would require stronger commitments, including assurances that Iran would abandon its nuclear ambitions.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” Trump said, adding that the conditions for any agreement would have to be “very solid”.
The remarks come amid escalating tensions following joint military operations by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets, which began last month and triggered retaliatory strikes by Tehran across the region.
Trump also said he is working with several countries to secure the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes. He urged countries affected by the conflict to deploy warships to help keep the route open and safe.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that nations such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom should contribute naval forces to safeguard the vital shipping passage.
The US president confirmed that American forces carried out strikes on Kharg Island, a key facility responsible for the majority of Iran’s oil exports. While the United States Central Command said precision strikes targeted military sites while preserving energy infrastructure, Trump claimed the island had been “totally demolished”.
Trump also questioned whether Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was alive after he failed to appear publicly following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed during the early phase of the conflict.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the younger Khamenei had been wounded and may be in hiding.
Trump further expressed surprise that Iran had launched drone and missile attacks on other Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Despite rising fuel prices following the conflict, the US president dismissed concerns about the political impact of higher gasoline prices in the United States, saying they would fall once the war ends.
He also criticised Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he was “far more difficult to make a deal with” than Vladimir Putin in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.