‘Iran Wants to Make a Deal, but I Don’t’: Trump

President Donald Trump has once again signaled skepticism toward negotiating with Iran, stating that while Tehran is seeking an agreement, he is not yet willing to engage. 

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said, “They want to make a deal, but I don’t. I’m not satisfied with it. We’ll see what happens. Iran wants to make a deal because they have no military left.” 

According to Trump, Iran’s interest in a deal stem from diminished military capability.

The administration’s “maximum pressure” approach, he contends, has forced Iran to the table, yet its demands remain incompatible with U.S. expectations. Chief among those demands is an immediate halt to Israeli operations in Lebanon, a condition that, from Washington’s view, ignores Israel’s security prerogatives and the ongoing threat posed by Iranian-backed groups.

Israel Continues Operations in Lebanon

On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had dismantled more than 7,500 weapons in the region, including over 1,000 ammunition crates, 750 small arms, 450 magazines, 300 pieces of military equipment, 200 grenades, 140 mortar shells, 90 launchers and missile launchers, 60 explosive belts, and 20 anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles. The IDF also reported uncovering more than 3,300 additional technical items. The scale of the cache underscores the depth of Iran’s proxy network in Lebanon and highlights the challenge any future diplomatic framework would face.

Conflict over Strait of Hormuz Continues

Beyond Lebanon, the Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint. Both Iran and the United States maintain significant naval operations in the waterway, which carries roughly a fifth of the world’s oil. Iran has demanded that the U.S. lift its blockade near Oman if it expects Tehran to vacate the area. The demand reflects Tehran’s view that any agreement must address U.S. presence and pressure, not just its own military posture. For the Trump administration, however, concessions on maritime operations would be viewed as rewarding what it considers destabilizing behavior.

In this environment, Trump’s stance is clear: negotiations are not an end in themselves. His administration has repeatedly argued that deals must be preceded by verifiable reductions in Iran’s military and proxy capabilities. Until that condition is met, he sees little value in diplomacy. “Peace through strength,” he has often said, requires demonstrating resolve before offering concessions.

The coming weeks will test whether Iran’s perceived military weakness translates into meaningful compromise, or whether the current impasse hardens into a longer confrontation. For now, Trump has made his position unambiguous: Iran may want a deal, but he does not—at least not yet.