Iran Ready for Ceasefire Talks but Terms Not Good Enough: Trump

In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he does not want to make a deal with Tehran at this stage despite signs that the country wants negotiations. “Iran wants to make a deal, but I don’t want to do it because the terms are not good enough yet,” he said, adding that any terms would have to be “very firm.”

When asked about the terms of the deal, Trump said, “I don’t want to tell you that,” but noted that Iran’s commitment to fully abandon its nuclear program would be part of any deal.

Trump’s remarks come amid the ongoing conflict that began two weeks ago when US and Israeli forces launched a joint attack on Iran, triggering Tehran’s retaliatory strikes against Israel and US-linked targets in the region.

Trump also said he was working with several countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments as oil prices soared during the conflict, NBC News reported.

NBC News reported that the US President asked “numerous countries affected by Iran’s thuggery” to help keep the strait open, but declined to name them. “Not only are they committed, but they think it’s a great idea,” he said.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom could send warships to the region to ensure the safe passage of oil tankers.

According to NBC News, the Iranian administration has vowed to keep the waterway closed, which has caused sharp increases in global energy prices. Trump also confirmed that US forces launched an attack on Kharg Island, a strategic Iranian island that hosts the country’s main oil export terminal.

US forces have conducted “precision strikes” on dozens of military targets while trying to protect oil infrastructure, according to United States Central Command (CENTCOM).

But Trump said the attacks had devastated the island. “We completely destroyed Kharg Island, but we might hit it a few more times just for fun,” Trump said, according to NBC News. “We have completely destroyed most of it,” the president said, noting that the energy pipelines remained intact because it would take years for them to be rebuilt.

Trump also questioned whether Iran’s new religious leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was still alive after he was not seen on camera following his appointment earlier this week.

“I don’t even know if he’s alive or not. No one has been able to point him out so far,” Trump said.

Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed after the death of his father, Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed in the first US-Israeli attacks on Iran.