President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States is not prepared to negotiate a peace deal with Iran as tensions continue to escalate in the ongoing conflict involving Israel.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump suggested that although Tehran may be interested in negotiations, Washington intends to continue military operations until it can secure more favorable terms.
The remarks came as Israel carried out a new wave of strikes targeting locations in western Iran, further intensifying the conflict that has lasted more than two weeks.
Trump also hinted that the U.S. could consider attacking strategic Iranian energy facilities, including Kharg Island, while stating that American forces may increase operations along the Iranian coastline near the Strait of Hormuz to allow oil shipments to resume.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s newly named supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has reportedly vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, a move that has contributed to rising global oil prices and growing economic concerns.
However, Trump questioned whether the Iranian leader is fully in control, noting uncertainty about his public presence since assuming leadership.
Iranian authorities have insisted that there is no issue with the country’s leadership, despite Mojtaba Khamenei not appearing publicly since the conflict intensified.
At the same time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, threatening retaliation following continued Israeli airstrikes.
Amid the escalating tensions, the United States has also advised its citizens to leave Iraq, where pro-Iranian armed groups have reportedly carried out attacks on the U.S. embassy and military bases hosting Western forces.
Despite the harsh rhetoric from both sides, daily life in Tehran has reportedly begun returning to a more normal rhythm compared to the early days of the conflict, which began on February 28 with strikes that killed Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
