New statement from Trump on the course of the deal with Iran: They are starting to give us what we want

US President Donald Trump made statements regarding Iran during a cabinet meeting open to the press. Stating that he believes a deal will be reached to end the war with Iran, Trump expressed that he is not rushing the situation and is not acting hastily, particularly due to domestic political pressures.

"I don't care about the midterms"

Arguing that he is not worried about the Iran war affecting the upcoming midterm elections, that the Iranian leadership is at a breaking point, and that they have no choice but to accept US terms, Trump said that Iran's strategy of stalling negotiations in the hope of weakening him politically by playing for time will not succeed. Trump said, "They thought they could wear me down by waiting. They calculated, 'We will hold out, there are midterm elections waiting for him.' I don't care about the midterms."

Referring to the victory of his endorsed candidate in the Texas Senate primary runoff, Trump said, "Look at what happened last night. This was a preview of the midterms. People understand the situation. People understand that Iran should not have nuclear weapons."

"They have no other choice"

Expressing his belief that a deal will soon be reached between the US and Iran, but noting that the US is not yet satisfied with the terms, Trump said, "Iran is extremely eager. They really want to make a deal. They haven't reached it yet. And we are not happy with this situation. But we will be. Either this will work out, or we will have to finish the job in an easy way."

Stating his belief that Iran is forced to seek a deal due to the severe economic conditions it faces, Trump said, "Their inflation is 250 percent. Their currency has no value. Their entire economic system has collapsed. They just want to make a deal. I think they have no other choice."

"The Strait will be open to everyone"

Following the cabinet meeting, when asked about Iran's desire to control the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied, "No, the strait will be open to everyone." Trump stated, "We are talking about international waters here. No one will control it. We will keep it under surveillance. No one will control it, and this is part of the negotiations we are conducting."

Stating that Oman would also have to act like other countries, Trump said, "Otherwise, we would have to blow them up. They understand this."

"We have plenty of oil"

When asked if he felt economic pressure regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied, "The US has so much oil that we are in the position of an exporter. So, we have plenty of oil. From this perspective, we possess the most advantageous land in the world. When you include Venezuela, I think we possess 64 percent of the world's oil."

To the objection that oil prices in the US are high due to the war, Trump responded that oil prices would fall back to their previous levels after the war. When asked if this created an urgency, Trump said, "The primary urgency is the issue that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. We have a massive amount of oil, gas, and coal. Prices will fall quickly. I said it before. I think we will see prices even lower than previous levels. I knew there would be an increase."

"It would have destroyed Israel"

Reiterating his claims that Iran would have possessed nuclear weapons if the US had not struck Iran, Trump said, "It would have destroyed Israel. It would have blown up the entire Middle East. But that will never happen."

When asked if he would accept Russia or China taking Iran's uranium stockpiles, Trump said, "No, I would not accept that. That would not put me at ease."

"We are not talking about easing sanctions on Iran or giving them money"

When asked if they were considering easing sanctions on Iran, Trump replied, "We are not talking about easing sanctions on Iran or giving them money. The money they claim belongs to them is under our control. We will keep control of that money. We will allow them to have it when they behave correctly and do the right thing."

"Iran is starting to give us what we want"

In response to a question about the current status of negotiations with Iran, Trump said, "I think we are doing very well. Iran is starting to give us what we want. If it happens this way, that's great; if not, this guy (Defense Secretary Hegseth) will finish the job."

"We can close this matter very quickly"

Trump, who did not give a clear answer when asked if there was a timeline regarding a war with Iran, said, "We can close this matter very quickly. If we do this in a different way by getting everything we want, that would be good. But we can close this very, very quickly. We might even need to do that. I don't think so, but we might need to."

"The deal needs to be perfect"

When asked if he would accept a deal with Iran that only envisions further talks, Trump replied, "No. The fundamental issues are necessary." Trump added, "I would accept it for some parts, you know, perhaps there could be a memorandum of understanding in terms of speed. And one of the things that will happen is the immediate opening of the strait. But this deal needs to be perfect. I didn't do this to make a bad deal."

"I think these countries owe us"

Trump said, "We also want the countries we are talking to, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and others, to join the Abraham Accords immediately. (Special Envoy) Steve Witkoff and Jared (Kushner), along with some other names, are conducting the talks. If they join, it would be a historic step. Frankly, I think these countries owe us. Let me be clear, if they don't sign, I'm not sure we need to make a deal (with Iran)."

When asked here whether a deal with Iran is dependent on the participation of other countries, Trump replied, "I don't know. I don't want to say that. We can make a good deal right now. But maybe it won't be a big deal. And if it's not a big deal, we won't do it."

"I think there has been some progress and interest"

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that negotiations with Iran are ongoing, saying, "If there is a deal to be made, we want it to be made. I think there has been some progress and interest. We will see whether progress can be made in the coming hours and days."

Stating that the US has "other options" if the negotiations remain inconclusive, Rubio said, "The issue is extremely simple: Iran and this regime in Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and will never have one."

"They came to talk and waved the white flag"

Speaking at the meeting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US has destroyed Iran's defense industry, saying, "They may have missiles, but they cannot produce new ones right now. They cannot produce more UAVs right now. They cannot build more ships either. That is why they came to talk and waved the white flag."

Stating that the blockade imposed by the US on Iran is another factor forcing Iran into negotiations, Hegseth said, "According to the intelligence we have gathered, their economy is taking a heavy hit. Because the strait is their lifeline. And this is bringing them to the negotiating table." Hegseth added that if the negotiations are not successful, the Department of Defense is "ready to do the job."