President Donald Trump stated Friday he does not foresee a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. “We can have dialogue, but we don’t,” Trump told reporters, adding, “I don’t want to do a ceasefire.” He asserted, “You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side.”
The President’s remarks came amid escalating tensions following an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars natural gas field on March 18, which prompted retaliatory attacks by Iran targeting energy infrastructure across the Gulf region, including facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Trump, however, indicated Israel’s willingness to conclude the conflict is contingent on his own assessment. “I think so,” he said when asked if Israel would be willing to end the conflict when the U.S. Wants it to, characterizing the relationship between the two countries as “very solid.”
The U.S. President declined to detail any specific plans regarding Kharg Island, Iran’s crucial oil export hub, which was targeted in a U.S. Strike last week. “I may have a plan or I may not, but how would I ever say that to a reporter?” Trump stated.
The divergence in perspectives between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the attack on the Iranian gas field has raised questions about the alignment of the two leaders’ strategies, according to reports. Trump had previously indicated he would not allow another Israeli attack on Iran’s South Pars field, following the March 18 strike, but stated the U.S. Would respond if Qatar’s energy infrastructure was attacked again. This followed an earlier instance where U.S. Officials said Jerusalem had coordinated the strike with Washington, after Washington had previously expressed frustration over an uncoordinated Israeli strike on a Tehran fuel facility earlier in the conflict.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Thursday that the U.S. May drop sanctions on 140 million barrels of Iranian oil in an effort to stabilize soaring global prices, as the national U.S. Average gas price reached $3.89 per gallon. Iran’s Tasnim News Agency characterized the move as a “win-win” for Iran, suggesting Washington was responding to economic pressures. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth indicated he would seek additional war funding from Congress, stating, “It takes money to kill bad guys.”
The conflict began on February 28, with Iran targeting the region in response to the ongoing war with Israel and the U.S. Iran had threatened further attacks on Gulf states if its energy sites were targeted again, and Saudi Arabia reserved the right to military action following attacks on its facilities.
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