Trump: “Iran shows willingness for a ceasefire… I’m not ready to agree yet”

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 14th (local time) that “Iran is showing a willingness to enter ceasefire talks.”

Trump made the remarks in a phone interview with NBC that day. He said, “Iran wants a deal, but I don’t want to make a deal yet,” adding that “the terms on the table are not good enough.” He added that “any deal needs very firm terms.”

Asked about specific conditions for a ceasefire agreement, he drew a line, saying, “I don’t want to talk about that.” NBC reported that “Trump agreed that a pledge by Iran to completely abandon its ambition to develop nuclear weapons would be part of any agreement.”

On the recent sharp rise in global crude prices, he stressed that they would “go lower than they were before.” Trump said, “There is a lot of oil and gas,” adding, “It’s just a little clogged right now, and that problem will be resolved soon.” He said, “We will protect the Strait of Hormuz very strongly, and I think other countries that are being obstructed or affected in oil shipments will join in as well.” Asked about the impact of oil prices on the U.S. midterm elections, he said he was “not concerned at all.”

He also mentioned an airstrike on Kharg Island, a key hub for Iran’s crude exports. Trump said, “We completely devastated it,” adding, “We might hit it a few more times for fun.” He continued, “But we didn’t do anything to the energy lines,” saying, “because it would take years to rebuild them.”

On Mojtaba Khamenei, recently elected as Iran’s new supreme leader, he said, “I’m not even sure he’s actually alive.” Trump said, “If (Khamenei) is alive, he needs to do something very smart for the country,” adding, “That is surrender.” Earlier, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on the 13th that it is highly likely Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in a recent U.S. strike on Iran and may have been left with facial scars.