Trump States Iran Is Open to Ceasefire Talks but Rejects Immediate Deal
3/16/2026 11:32:28 AM
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he’s not ready to make a deal to end the war with Iran despite the country’s willingness to do so “because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” but declined to say what those terms would be.
In a wide-ranging, nearly 30-minute telephone interview with NBC News, the president also said he is working with other countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid surges in global oil prices, and he dismissed Americans’ concerns about rising gas prices since the U.S. and Israel launched their joint military operation two weeks ago.
The president also questioned whether Iran’s new supreme leader is “even alive.”
Trump said he was “surprised” that Iran decided to attack other Middle Eastern countries in response to the U.S.-Israeli operation, and that U.S. strikes on Kharg Island on Saturday “totally demolished” most of the island but that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
He also slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he was “far more difficult to make a deal with” than Russian President Vladimir Putin over efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump’s comments follow criticism from global leaders after the U.S. eased sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to mitigate surging global oil prices.
Trump says he's not ready to make a deal with Iran
On the phone call, Trump said he was unwilling to make a deal to end the war with Iran at this stage.
“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 what the terms of a potential deal to end the war would be, the president responded: “I don’t want to say that to you.” But he agreed that a commitment from Iran to completely abandon any nuclear ambitions would be part of it.
Trump’s comments come after Reuters reported that the Trump administration had brushed aside efforts to advance talks to end the war.
He also previewed what the rest of the U.S. military operation in Iran could look like. It began last month with Israeli and U.S. forces launching joint strikes on the nation and Iran responding by launching strikes on Israel and U.S. targets in nearby countries. Thirteen active U.S. service personnel have died since the conflict began, including six U.S. crew members who died Friday after their military refueling plane crashed in Iraq.
Trump administration officials have sent mixed messages in the last two weeks about what the U.S. military goals are in Iran and how long the conflict could last, with Trump at times saying it could take a month or longer and at other times times saying “we are way ahead of the timetable” and there’s “practically nothing left to target.”
On Saturday, the president said that “the only power they have, and it’s a power that can be closed off relatively quickly, is the power of dropping a mine or shooting a relatively short-range missile. But when we get finished with the shoreline, they’re not going to have that power either.”
He added later: “We’ve knocked out most of their missiles. We’ve knocked out most of their drones. We knocked out their manufacturing of missiles and drones, largely. Within two days, it’ll be totally decimated.”
Securing the Strait of Hormuz
Trump on Saturday said he is asking “numerous countries that are affected by the thuggery of Iran” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz — a key marine passageway for oil tankers — as global oil prices have surged amid the war.
Iran’s leaders, meanwhile, have vowed to keep the strait closed and have called for even higher oil prices since the conflict began.
The president said several countries have committed to helping secure the strait, but declined to name any of them.
“They’ve not only committed, but they think it’s a great idea,” he said.
In a Truth Social post on Saturday morning, Trump wrote: “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” adding: “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area.”
On the phone call, Trump said it’s not clear whether Iran has dropped mines into the strait.
“We’re going to be sweeping the strait very strongly, and we believe we’ll be joined by other countries who are somewhat impeded, and in some cases impeded from getting the oil,” he added.
The president demurred when asked whether the U.S. Navy would start escorting ships through the strait, saying, “I don’t want to tell you anything about that,” but adding that “it’s possible.”
The president also confirmed that U.S. forces carried out strikes on Kharg Island, a strategic island off the coast of Iran that is home to an oil terminal responsible for the majority of the nation’s oil exports.
U.S. Central Command said Saturday morning it had conducted “precision strikes” on 90 military targets while “preserving the oil infrastructure,” but Trump said later Saturday that “we totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
“We’ve totally decimated it,” the president added. “Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years.”
In a wide-ranging, nearly 30-minute telephone interview with NBC News, the president also said he is working with other countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid surges in global oil prices, and he dismissed Americans’ concerns about rising gas prices since the U.S. and Israel launched their joint military operation two weeks ago.
The president also questioned whether Iran’s new supreme leader is “even alive.”
Trump said he was “surprised” that Iran decided to attack other Middle Eastern countries in response to the U.S.-Israeli operation, and that U.S. strikes on Kharg Island on Saturday “totally demolished” most of the island but that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
He also slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he was “far more difficult to make a deal with” than Russian President Vladimir Putin over efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump’s comments follow criticism from global leaders after the U.S. eased sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to mitigate surging global oil prices.
Trump says he's not ready to make a deal with Iran
On the phone call, Trump said he was unwilling to make a deal to end the war with Iran at this stage.
“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 what the terms of a potential deal to end the war would be, the president responded: “I don’t want to say that to you.” But he agreed that a commitment from Iran to completely abandon any nuclear ambitions would be part of it.
Trump’s comments come after Reuters reported that the Trump administration had brushed aside efforts to advance talks to end the war.
He also previewed what the rest of the U.S. military operation in Iran could look like. It began last month with Israeli and U.S. forces launching joint strikes on the nation and Iran responding by launching strikes on Israel and U.S. targets in nearby countries. Thirteen active U.S. service personnel have died since the conflict began, including six U.S. crew members who died Friday after their military refueling plane crashed in Iraq.
Trump administration officials have sent mixed messages in the last two weeks about what the U.S. military goals are in Iran and how long the conflict could last, with Trump at times saying it could take a month or longer and at other times times saying “we are way ahead of the timetable” and there’s “practically nothing left to target.”
On Saturday, the president said that “the only power they have, and it’s a power that can be closed off relatively quickly, is the power of dropping a mine or shooting a relatively short-range missile. But when we get finished with the shoreline, they’re not going to have that power either.”
He added later: “We’ve knocked out most of their missiles. We’ve knocked out most of their drones. We knocked out their manufacturing of missiles and drones, largely. Within two days, it’ll be totally decimated.”
Securing the Strait of Hormuz
Trump on Saturday said he is asking “numerous countries that are affected by the thuggery of Iran” to help secure the Strait of Hormuz — a key marine passageway for oil tankers — as global oil prices have surged amid the war.
Iran’s leaders, meanwhile, have vowed to keep the strait closed and have called for even higher oil prices since the conflict began.
The president said several countries have committed to helping secure the strait, but declined to name any of them.
“They’ve not only committed, but they think it’s a great idea,” he said.
In a Truth Social post on Saturday morning, Trump wrote: “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” adding: “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area.”
On the phone call, Trump said it’s not clear whether Iran has dropped mines into the strait.
“We’re going to be sweeping the strait very strongly, and we believe we’ll be joined by other countries who are somewhat impeded, and in some cases impeded from getting the oil,” he added.
The president demurred when asked whether the U.S. Navy would start escorting ships through the strait, saying, “I don’t want to tell you anything about that,” but adding that “it’s possible.”
The president also confirmed that U.S. forces carried out strikes on Kharg Island, a strategic island off the coast of Iran that is home to an oil terminal responsible for the majority of the nation’s oil exports.
U.S. Central Command said Saturday morning it had conducted “precision strikes” on 90 military targets while “preserving the oil infrastructure,” but Trump said later Saturday that “we totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
“We’ve totally decimated it,” the president added. “Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years.”