Key Points
- Donald Trump says Iran is seeking negotiations to end the war
- US president says proposed terms from Tehran are “not good enough”
- Trump insists Iran must abandon nuclear ambitions completely
- US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets continuing under Operation Epic Fury
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said Iran is seeking negotiations to end the ongoing conflict but warned he will not agree to any deal unless Tehran accepts stronger terms, including abandoning its nuclear ambitions.
Speaking to NBC News on Saturday, Trump said Iranian officials have signalled interest in a settlement, but their proposals so far fall short of what Washington is prepared to accept.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” Trump said in the interview.
The president added that any agreement would require Iran to completely abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and accept what he described as “very solid” conditions before the United States halts its military campaign alongside Israel.
Trump said the current military pressure would continue until Tehran agrees to tougher terms, stressing that Washington is not ready to end the operation prematurely.
He also raised uncertainty about the status of Iran’s leadership, questioning whether the country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, remains alive amid the ongoing conflict.
The remarks come as US forces intensify strikes on Iranian military facilities under Operation Epic Fury, a campaign launched on February 28 targeting missile bases, air defence systems and other strategic assets.
Trump predicted that the sustained attacks could significantly degrade Iran’s military arsenal within days if the campaign continues at its current pace.
The escalating confrontation has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict, with Iran warning of retaliation and regional powers closely monitoring developments as diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis remain uncertain.
