By Obinna Uballa
United States President Donald Trump has ruled out an immediate deal to end the ongoing war with Iran, insisting Washington will continue military pressure until more favourable terms are secured.
In an interview with NBC News, Trump said Tehran appeared eager to negotiate but maintained that the United States was not prepared to settle yet.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” he said.
The US president warned that American forces could intensify strikes along Iran’s coastline near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to reopen the passage for global oil shipments.
The conflict between US-Israeli forces and Iran has entered its third week, with both sides maintaining hardline rhetoric despite rising casualties and global economic concerns caused by soaring oil prices after the effective closure of the shipping corridor.
Trump also hinted that US forces could again strike Iran’s key oil export hub on Kharg Island.
Meanwhile, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed in a written statement that the country would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. Trump dismissed the warning and questioned whether the Iranian leader was even in control.
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far nobody has been able to show him,” Trump said.
Iranian authorities, however, insisted there was “no problem with the new supreme leader,” even though he has not appeared publicly.
At the same time, the Israeli military announced a fresh wave of airstrikes against targets in western Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps labelled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a criminal and vowed to pursue and kill him.
Despite the escalating military exchanges, signs of cautious normalcy have begun returning to Tehran.
Traffic has increased in several parts of the city, while some cafés and restaurants have reopened ahead of Nowruz celebrations.
At the busy Tajrish Bazaar, more than a third of the stalls have resumed business, while residents were seen queuing at ATMs following disruptions to online services at Bank Melli.
The conflict began on February 28 after US-Israeli strikes reportedly killed Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Washington has also urged American citizens to leave Iraq amid attacks by pro-Iranian groups on US diplomatic and military facilities.
Trump has proposed an international naval operation to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, urging countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom to deploy ships to secure the route.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says as many as 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran since the war began, while Iranian health authorities report that more than 1,200 people have been killed in the strikes.
According to the Pentagon, over 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit by US and Israeli forces.
US media also reported that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and about 2,500 Marines have been deployed to the region as tensions continue to escalate.
