United States President Donald Trump has said Washington is not prepared to strike a deal with Iran to end the ongoing war, as fresh Israeli strikes and mounting regional tensions signal a deepening conflict.
Speaking in an interview with NBC News, Trump acknowledged that Tehran appeared ready for negotiations but insisted that the United States would continue military operations until more favourable terms were secured.
“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” the US president said.
Trump also warned that American forces could escalate attacks along Iran’s northern coastline near the vital Strait of Hormuz in an effort to reopen the route for global oil shipments.
The conflict, now more than two weeks old, has seen intensifying exchanges between US-Israeli forces and Iran, with neither side moderating its rhetoric despite a growing death toll and rising global oil prices triggered by disruptions to shipping through the strait.
The US president further suggested that Washington could again strike Iran’s main oil export hub at Kharg Island.
Meanwhile, Iran’s newly installed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. Trump, however, cast doubt on his authority, claiming it was unclear whether the Iranian leader was even alive.
“I don’t know if he’s even alive. So far, nobody has been able to show him,” Trump said.
Iranian officials dismissed the speculation, insisting there was “no problem with the new supreme leader,” although he has yet to appear in public.
The Israeli military also announced a fresh wave of strikes on targets in western Iran after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a criminal and vowed to pursue and kill him.
Signs of normal life in Tehran
Despite the escalating hostilities, parts of Tehran have begun to show signs of normal life returning.
Traffic increased across several districts, while some cafés and restaurants reopened ahead of the upcoming Nowruz celebrations.
At the bustling Tajrish Bazaar, more than a third of stalls resumed business, and residents were seen lining up at ATMs after online services at Bank Melli were disrupted in recent days.
The conflict began on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Growing regional security concerns
Washington has advised its citizens to leave Iraq amid attacks by pro-Iranian groups on US diplomatic facilities and military bases hosting Western troops.
Trump has also suggested forming an international naval coalition to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, calling on countries including China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom to deploy ships to the area.
Reports of renewed missile and drone activity were also recorded across the region, with air defence systems intercepting projectiles over Manama and Dubai.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, up to 3.2 million people have been displaced within Iran since the conflict began.
Iran’s health ministry says more than 1,200 people have been killed in US and Israeli strikes, while the Pentagon reports that over 15,000 targets in Iran have been hit so far.
US media also reported that the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and about 2,500 US Marines have been deployed to the region as the crisis deepens.
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