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15 March 2026•Update: 16 March 2026
ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is not yet prepared to make a deal with Iran to end the widening Middle East conflict.
Trump said the terms of any potential agreement “aren’t good enough yet” and declined to provide details on what a deal would require.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he told NBC News in a phone interview.
He added that a commitment from Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions would likely be a key component.
Trump also expressed surprise at Iran’s attacks on other countries in response to US-Israeli military operations, and described American strikes on Kharg Island as having “totally demolished” most of the island’s military facilities. He added that “we may hit it a few more times just for fun.”
Separately, in a post on his Truth Social account, Trump wrote that “many countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships, in conjunction with the United States, to keep the Strait open and safe.”
He named China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom as potential participants.
Trump also addressed the Strait of Hormuz during the interview, saying it is unclear whether Iran has deployed mines.
“We’re going to be sweeping the strait very strongly, and we believe we’ll be joined by other countries,” he said.
He did not confirm whether the US Navy would escort commercial vessels, adding only that “it’s possible.”
