ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran wanted to reach a deal but was not yet prepared to do so.

"They want to make a deal, but they're not ready to make a deal in my opinion," Trump told PBS News, adding that the US was "doing very well" in the campaign. He had previously said he had "agreed to talk" with Iranian officials, while also warning that strikes would continue unless Tehran met Washington's demands.

On Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal, Trump said the facility is "out of commission" but that he had deliberately avoided hitting oil pipelines, saying it would take years to rebuild such infrastructure. "Didn't even come close," he said, adding he would strike the island again if necessary.

Asked when oil prices would drop, Trump said he expected relief "as soon as the war is over" and did not believe that "it will be long."

The US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, killing over 1,300 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Fourteen US service members have been killed since the beginning of the war.