President Donald Trump addressed reporter questions Saturday as he prepared to board a plane, outlining his current posture on Iran’s latest proposal while indicating potential future military and diplomatic steps amid an ongoing standoff.
During one exchange, a reporter noted that about 85 percent of Iran’s nuclear missile-making capabilities had been eliminated and asked whether the remaining 15 percent was important for the United States to eliminate. Trump responded, “I’d like to eliminate it… It’d be a start for them to build up again — and yeah, I would like to eliminate it.”
On the subject of Iran’s latest proposal, Trump said, “I’m looking at it [on the plane]. I’ll let you know about it later… They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now.”
When asked about remarks from the previous night suggesting the United States might be better off not making a deal, Trump responded, “I didn’t say that. I said that if we left right now it would take them 20 years to rebuild, but we’re not leaving right now. We’re going to do it so no one has to go back in two years or five years.”
Trump also posted on Truth Social: “I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
When asked under what circumstances the United States might restart military strikes against Iran, Trump declined to specify precise conditions but acknowledged the possibility, saying, “I don’t want to say that. I can’t tell that to a reporter. If they misbehave, if they do something bad — but right now, we’ll see. It’s a possibility that could happen, certainly.”
The comments come as tensions between the United States and Iran remain elevated following the conflict that began on February 28, 2026, when U.S. forces initiated strikes against Iranian targets. A ceasefire ordered on April 7 has held without direct exchanges of fire.
In a letter to Congress dated May 1, Trump stated that “The threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” adding that the United States military will continue to “update its force posture” in the region. He also said the strikes were ordered “consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests at home and abroad,” emphasizing that U.S. forces remain positioned to address ongoing threats.
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