US President Donald Trump on Wednesday asserted that Iran remains under intense pressure to negotiate a diplomatic agreement with Washington, even as tensions continue to escalate across West Asia.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Trump said he believes Tehran is eager to reach a settlement with the United States despite the absence of a breakthrough so far.
“They want very much to make a deal,” Trump said, while acknowledging that negotiations had yet to produce a satisfactory outcome.
“So far, they haven’t gotten there. We’re not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be,” he added.
The US President also issued a stern warning that Washington was prepared to take further action if diplomacy ultimately failed.
“Either that or we’ll have to finish the job,” Trump said, signalling that military options remain on the table amid the ongoing geopolitical standoff.
Trump further claimed that Iranian leaders had initially hoped to outlast his administration during negotiations but were now facing mounting economic and strategic pressure.
“They thought they’d outwait me,” he said, adding, “I don’t think they have a choice.”
The remarks came shortly after the White House strongly rejected reports aired by Iranian state media claiming that Tehran and Washington had reached a preliminary understanding to end hostilities and restore maritime trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The administration described the reported Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a “complete fabrication” and denied claims that the United States had agreed to lift its naval blockade on Iran or withdraw military deployments from Gulf waters.
Iranian state television had earlier broadcast details of what it described as a draft framework under which the US would reduce its military presence in the region while Iran would restore commercial shipping operations through the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz.
