Rabia Iclal Turan
20 March 2026•Update: 22 March 2026
WASHINGTON
Claiming that Iran has been severely weakened, US President Donald Trump said Friday he does not support a ceasefire in the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran.
“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 reporters before leaving the White House.
Asked whether Israel would be ready to end the war at the same time as Washington, Trump responded: “I think so. The relationship is a very good one… We want, more or less similar things … We want victory, both of us.”
The remarks came hours after Trump said he is seeking talks with Iran but claimed there is “nobody to talk to” following weeks of US-Israeli strikes that killed senior Iranian officials, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior official Ali Larijani.
Iran also rejected ceasefire talks, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying this week that the US is “responsible” for the war and its impact on the wider region.
During his remarks at the White House, Trump also downplayed US reliance on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint, with a significant portion of global oil shipments passing through it.
“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 added.
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 US-Israeli attacks that began on Feb. 28.
After Trump called for international help to reopen the strait, many countries refused, suggesting that the US started the current war without any international consultation and so the war belongs to Trump.
Regional tensions have surged since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. The attacks have reportedly killed some 1,300 people, including over 150 children at a girls' elementary school.
Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and what it says are US-linked assets across the region, further escalating the conflict.
