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United States President Donald Trump on Friday ruled out reaching a ceasefire agreement with Iran, saying Washington has the upper hand in the three-week-old war.
“I don't want to do a ceasefire. You know you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side,” Trump told journalists at the White House.
Trump also said he believes Israel would be ready to end the war at the same time as the United States.
“I think so. The relationship is a very good one… We want, more or less similar things … We want victory, both of us,” he said.
The remarks came hours after Trump said he was seeking talks with Iran but claimed there was “nobody to talk to” following weeks of U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed senior Iranian officials, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior official Ali Larijani.
Iran has also rejected ceasefire discussions, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying this week that the United States is “responsible” for the war and its regional consequences.
Trump also downplayed U.S. dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint.
“We don't use the strait … We don't need it. Europe needs it. (South) Korea, Japan, China … So they'll have to get involved a little bit,” he said.
The waterway has been at the center of global energy concerns since Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced its closure to most vessels in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli attacks launched on Feb. 28.
The conflict has intensified since the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, which have killed around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and what it describes as U.S.-linked assets across the region, further escalating tensions.
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