US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said that Iran is ready to negotiate a deal to end the ongoing war, but he is not prepared to agree to a ceasfire yet since the terms offered are insufficient, according to NBC News.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump said he is unwilling to make a deal with Tehran at this stage despite indications the country wants negotiations.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said, adding that any terms will have to be “very solid”.
When asked about the conditions for a deal, Trump said, “I don’t want to say that to you,” though he indicated that a commitment from Iran to completely abandon would be part of any agreement.
His remarks come amid the ongoing conflict that began two weeks ago when the US and Israeli forces launched joint strikes on Iran, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Israel and US-linked targets across the region.
Trump also said he is working with several countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments, as oil prices surge during the conflict, NBC News reported.
NBC News reported the US President asking “numerous countries that are affected by the thuggery of Iran” to assist in keeping the strait open, but declined to name them.
“They’ve not only committed, but they think it’s a great idea,” he said.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom could send warships to the area to help ensure safe passage for oil tankers.
Iran’s leadership has vowed to keep the waterway closed, which has contributed to sharp increases in global energy prices, NBC News reported, adding that Trump has confirmed US forces carried out strikes on Kharg Island, a strategic Iranian island that houses the country’s main oil export terminal.
According to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), US forces conducted “precision strikes” on dozens of military targets while attempting to preserve oil infrastructure.
However, Trump said the attacks had devastated the island.
“We totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun,” NBC News quoted Trump as saying.
“We’ve totally decimated it,” the president added, noting that the energy pipelines themselves were left intact because rebuilding them would take years.
Trump also questioned whether Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still alive after he did not appear on camera following his appointment earlier this week.
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody’s been able to show him,” Trump said.
Khamenei was appointed after the death of his father, Ayatollah Khamenei, who was killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes on Iran. (ANI)
