President Donald Trump recently claimed that Iran‘s leadership contacted Washington for a particular reason. The claim comes after a second night of U.S. strikes on Iranian sites triggered retaliatory attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain.
Donald Trump says Iran wants to ‘make a deal so badly’
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Wednesday, Donald Trump said Iran’s officials had called “a little while ago” following the latest round of American strikes. He said Iran was eager to reach an agreement, though he remained doubtful about the country’s intentions. “I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal. I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments came just a day after he declared the ceasefire “over” and dismissed further negotiations as a “waste of time.” As mentioned above, his tone shifted somewhat after the call, though he stopped short of expressing confidence in Iran’s sincerity.
The renewed hostility followed U.S. military action aimed at keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping. U.S. Central Command said it struck 90 Iranian military targets, including air defence systems and logistics infrastructure along the coast, describing the operation as a follow-up to strikes carried out the previous night.
Iran responded with attacks on U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the retaliatory strikes, calling them the “first phase of the punitive response against the American treaty-breakers” (via BBC).
Furthermore, Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that Washington had not learned its lesson. “Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit,” he wrote on X, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would open only under Iranian terms, not American pressure.
The ceasefire, agreed on June 17, included a 60-day negotiation window, safe passage for vessels through the strait, and the lifting of U.S. sanctions. That period has not yet expired, though Trump has already cast doubt on its future.
