President Donald Trump stated on Friday night that he was "not satisfied" with the deals offered by Tehran and suggested that "maybe we're better off not making a deal." Speaking to reporters, Trump said, "They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens." Later, at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, he questioned whether he even wanted an agreement, adding, "I'm so busy with the Iranians calling trying to make a good deal and we're not going to let that happen. They've got to make a bad deal. Maybe we're better off not making a deal at all."
Despite ongoing negotiations, Trump sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday declaring that the "hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated." This move effectively bypassed a 60-day deadline requiring congressional approval to continue the conflict. He noted, "Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant."
Military Actions and Comparisons
Trump likened the US military to "pirates" when describing the seizure of an Iranian cargo ship attempting to bypass the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. "We took over the cargo. Took over the oil, a very profitable business. Who would have thought we were doing that were like pirates? We're sort of like pirates. But we're not playing games," he said.
He also claimed that the US military had eliminated multiple "tiers" of Iran's leadership, leaving him uncertain about whom to negotiate with. "That's the problem because we are trying to figure out the right one to talk to," Trump remarked.
Iran's Leadership and Nuclear Concerns
Speaking in Florida, Trump joked that Iran was the "only country" where no one wanted to be the leader, despite Iran having President Masoud Pezeshkian since 2024. He insisted, "You cannot give Iran a nuclear weapon," warning that Tehran would use it against Israel, the Middle East, and Europe.
Trump also described dealing with "brutal" people in Iran and complained that the US received "zero" help from NATO for the war. "We got no help from NATO. You know, we spend trillions of dollars on NATO, and we got no help," he said during a visit to The Villages in Florida.
Domestic and International Reactions
Trump accused the "radical left" of treason for suggesting the US is losing the war, stating, "It's actually, I believe it's treasonous, okay." Meanwhile, China's UN ambassador Fu Cong emphasized the urgent need to maintain the Iran war ceasefire and called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. "The most urgent issue is to keep the ceasefire. And the ceasefire needs to last, and there has to be good-faith negotiation between the two sides," Fu said.
Pentagon officials estimate the US naval blockade has cost Iran $4.8 billion in lost oil revenue. Trump confirmed the US will not exit the confrontation early to avoid a recurrence of the problem.
