Trump On Iran: ‘We’re Ready To Go Militarily’ As He Rules Out Ceasefire Extension, Warns Of Fresh ‘Bombing’ If Talks Fail

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he does not want to extend the current ceasefire with Iran, signalling a hard stance even as talks remain uncertain. In an interview with CNBC, Trump said the United States is negotiating from a position of strength and is confident of securing what he described as a “great deal.”

“I don’t want to do that. We don’t have that much time,” Trump said when asked about the possibility of extending the ceasefire. At the same time, Washington indicated that discussions with Iran could take place in Pakistan, while a senior Iranian official said Tehran is still considering whether to participate.

Trump rules out ceasefire extension, signals tough stance

With uncertainty around last-minute peace talks, Trump made it clear that military action remains on the table if an agreement is not reached soon. He said the US would resume strikes on Iran if negotiations fail to produce results.

“I expect to be bombing because I think that’s a better attitude to go in with. But we’re ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go,” he said, underlining the aggressive posture being maintained by Washington.

Trump warns of possible strikes if no deal is reached

Meanwhile, oil markets reacted to the evolving situation. Prices fell on Tuesday, reversing earlier gains, as hopes grew that talks between the US and Iran could still happen this week. Brent crude slipped by 18 cents to $95.30 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May dropped 30 cents to $89.31. The more active June WTI contract remained steady at $87.35.

The drop followed a sharp surge on Monday, when Brent and WTI had jumped 5.6% and 6.9% respectively. The spike came after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz again and the US seized an Iranian cargo ship as part of its blockade efforts.

Oil prices fall amid hopes of possible talks

Investors are now closely watching whether upcoming discussions will lead to an extension of the ceasefire or a final agreement. However, concerns remain that disruptions to oil supplies could continue regardless of the outcome.

“The market (is) inclined to believe that, before the expiration of the ceasefire tomorrow, at least an extension will be reached between the U.S. and Iran, and that the Israeli–Lebanese talks scheduled for Thursday will not disappoint either,” said PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga.

Markets watch for a ceasefire extension or a final deal

On the ground, uncertainty continues to grow. An Iranian official said no final decision has been taken on joining the talks, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that “continued violations of the ceasefire” by the US are making negotiations difficult.

In another development, the US military said it had seized a tanker linked to Iran in international waters as part of its enforcement actions. The tanker, identified as Tifani, was boarded “without incident.” It was reportedly near Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and was close to fully loaded, with Singapore listed as its destination.

Iran flags ceasefire violations as hurdle to talks

“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran — anywhere they operate,” US Central Command said, reinforcing Washington’s position as the situation continues to evolve.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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