US President Donald Trump has said Iran is willing to negotiate an end to the ongoing conflict, but insisted he will not agree to a ceasefire until the terms meet his expectations. Speaking in a nearly 30-minute telephone interview with NBC News on Saturday, the president said he was holding out for “very solid” conditions.

Trump declined to outline what those terms would entail, though he confirmed that any agreement would require Iran to fully renounce its nuclear aspirations. “Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said. “I don’t want to say that to you,” he added when asked for specifics.

The comments come as US-Israeli military operations continue inside Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes across the region and prompting global concern over rising oil prices and maritime security.

Questions over Iranian leadership and regional escalation

In the interview, Trump cast doubt on whether Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader is “even alive” and expressed surprise that the country had expanded its attacks to other Middle Eastern nations in response to US-Israeli operations.

Thirteen American service members have been killed since the conflict began, including six crew members who died on Friday when a US refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq. Trump said the military campaign was advancing rapidly, claiming there was “practically nothing left to target.”

He argued that Iran’s remaining capabilities were limited. “The only power they have… 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.”

Strikes on Kharg Island

The president confirmed that US forces carried out fresh attacks on Kharg Island, a vital hub for Iranian oil exports. While US Central Command said it had conducted “precision strikes” against 90 military targets while safeguarding oil infrastructure, Trump offered a far blunter assessment.

“We totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun,” he said. “We’ve totally decimated it. Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines.”

Plans to secure the Strait of Hormuz

Amid surging global oil prices, Trump said the US is coordinating with other nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for global energy supplies. While he declined to identify which nations had committed forces, he said they viewed participation as “a great idea.”

On Truth Social, Trump earlier urged countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to send warships to help maintain open access to the strait.

Iran has threatened to keep the passage closed and has pushed for higher global oil prices since the conflict began. Asked whether Iran had deployed mines, Trump said it was unclear but vowed that the US would be “sweeping the strait very strongly.”

He would not say whether the US Navy planned to escort commercial vessels, replying only: “I don’t want to tell you anything about that… but it’s possible.”

Criticism of Zelenskyy and sanctions stance

Trump also used the interview to criticise Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he was “far more difficult to make a deal with” than Russian President Vladimir Putin in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. His remarks follow international criticism after Washington eased restrictions on Russian oil in an attempt to stabilise global energy markets.

According to Reuters, the administration recently set aside opportunities for negotiations aimed at ending the Iran conflict, even as international pressure mounts for a diplomatic resolution.