Donald Trump admitted he does not want to “blast the hell” out of Iran after making numerous threats and imposing multiple deadlines.
But the president insisted he’s also not satisfied with what Tehran is offering as a deal.
Trump, 79, spoke with reporters outside the White House on Friday as he departed for Florida, and he shared an update on the stalled peace talks.
“They want to make a deal, but I’m not satisfied,” Trump said.
The president claimed Iran was asking for things he could not agree to, but he did not elaborate. According to him, there are two options.
“Well, there are options. I mean, do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever, or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options,” Trump said.
Asked if he wanted to “blast the hell out of them,” Trump responded: “I prefer not. On a human basis, I prefer not.”
Last month, Trump posted on Truth Social on April 7, “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” He then extended his ceasefire just hours later.
The president on Friday accused Iran of having “very disjointed leadership,” which he claimed put the U.S. in a “bad position” after military strikes took out top Iranian officials early on in the war.
Trump’s comments came on Friday after Iran delivered its latest offer to mediators in Pakistan to end the war, which has lasted for more than two months.
Friday marked the 60-day deadline for the president to seek congressional approval for continued military action against Iran under the War Powers Act, but Trump insisted he did not need to get authorization from Congress with a series of excuses.
“It’s never been sought before. There’s been numerous, many, many times, and nobody’s ever gotten it before. They consider it totally unconstitutional, but we’re always in touch with Congress,” Trump claimed.
He did not elaborate on who “they” were, but he wasn’t done ranting about it or offering up a litany of excuses.
“Nobody’s ever sought it before. Nobody’s ever asked for it before. It’s never been used before. Why should we be different?” he complained.
At another point, while answering questions, Trump said: “No other country has ever done it. It’s never been, as you know, most people consider it totally unconstitutional. Also, we had a ceasefire, so that gives you additional time, but no other country’s done it. We’re in the midst of a big victory.”
The ceasefire argument is being disputed. When asked about the deadline on Thursday in the Senate, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the 60-day timeline for seeking congressional approval was paused because of the ceasefire. Democrats have argued that’s not how the law works.
Despite the president’s argument, Trump sent a letter to Congress on Friday in what appeared to be an effort to comply with the War Powers Resolution, in which he noted the ceasefire and said the hostilities that began on February 28 had been “terminated,” even though armed forces remain in the region.
It comes as the majority of Americans believe using military force against Iran was a mistake, according to new polling released on Friday.
At the same time, gas prices continue to soar since the start of the war, with the national average per gallon hitting $4.42 on Friday. The president claimed prices would come down as soon as the war ends.
“Gasoline is high,” Trump admitted on Friday. “But when this is over, you’ll have a world without a nuclear weapon with Iran.”
