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U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he would like to "take" Iran's oil, called Americans opposed to the war "foolish," repeated threats to strike Iranian bridges, power plants and other infrastructure, and said his Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was final, while describing Tehran's latest proposal as significant but not sufficient.
Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the White House and on the South Lawn during the White House Easter Egg Roll, where he repeatedly defended the war by saying Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
He also said the United States could leave now but that he wanted to "finish it off," and claimed negotiators now speaking on behalf of Iran were acting in good faith.
His comments came as Iran rejected a proposed truce and insisted on what state news agency IRNA described as the need for a definitive end to the conflict.
Trump said intermediaries were continuing negotiations and described a 45-day ceasefire proposal as a "very significant step" but "not good enough."
Asked what he would tell Americans who oppose the war, Trump replied, "They're foolish."
"Because the war is about one thing - Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," he said.
Trump also said, "You can't put nuclear weapons in the hands of lunatics," referring to the Iranian leadership.
He said his Tuesday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was final.
Trump said Iran's response to a U.S. proposal to end the war was significant but insufficient.
"They made a proposal, and it's a significant proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough," he said.
"It could end very quickly, the war, if they do what they have to do. They have to do certain things. They know that. They've been negotiating I think in good faith," Trump said.
In separate remarks, he also said the United States had studied a proposal for a 45-day ceasefire in the war.
"It's a significant proposal, it's a significant step. It's not good enough, but it's a very significant step," Trump said, adding that intermediaries "are negotiating now."
Trump also said that, if it were up to him, he would take Iran's oil.
"What would I like to do? Take the oil," Trump said.
"Because it's there for the taking, there's not a thing they can do about it," he said of Iran's oil reserves.
He added, "Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I'd take the oil. I'd keep the oil. I would make plenty of money."
His remarks tied the war to Iran's oil reserves as well as to his repeated argument that Tehran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump said the United States was "obliterating" Iran.
"And I hate to do it - but we're obliterating it," he told reporters.
He also repeated threats to strike Iranian bridges, power plants and other infrastructure if Tehran does not make a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"They'll have no bridges, no power plants. They'll have nothing. I won't go further because there are other things that are worse than those, too," he said.
On the South Lawn, Trump again warned of even "worse" options than bombing bridges and power plants.
"They'll have no bridges, they'll have no power plants, they'll have no anything. I won't go further because there are other things that are worse than those two," Trump said.
According to the text, Trump had also issued a profanity-laced Truth Social post on Sunday in which he wrote: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
Trump also said, "We could leave right now, and it would take them 15 years to rebuild what they had. We could leave right now, but I want to finish it off."
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Trump also reiterated that his administration had sent guns to Iran in an attempt to help anti-government protesters during demonstrations in December and January.
"They were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back," Trump said.
He said the guns were kept by "a group of people" but did not specify whom he meant.
In an earlier version of the same claim, Trump said, "You know what happened? The people they sent them to kept them because they said, 'What a beautiful gun, I think I'll keep it.'"
He added that he was upset with what he described as a certain group of people and said they were "going to pay a big price for that," without identifying the group.
Trump said, "We've had total regime change in Iran," and tried to underscore what he described as the significance of changes brought by American-Israeli strikes on Iran's government.
"The people there now are much more reasonable than the lunatics that you had in phase one and phase two," Trump said.
"They were lunatics, the people that we are negotiating with now on behalf of Iran are much more reasonable," he added.
Trump said negotiations with Iran were positive and that he believed Tehran was acting "in good faith."
At the same time, he said the latest Iranian proposal was not enough, even though he called it a significant step.
The statements came as Iran rejected a proposed truce and, according to IRNA, insisted on the need for a definitive end to the conflict rather than a temporary ceasefire.
Taken together, Trump's remarks combined a defense of the war, fresh threats against Iranian infrastructure, a final deadline tied to the Strait of Hormuz, praise for ongoing negotiations, criticism of domestic opponents, and repeated comments that he would like to take and keep Iran's oil.
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