Trump says Iran's terms "not good enough" for ceasefire deal

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he's not ready to make a deal to end the military campaign against Iran "because the terms aren't good enough yet."

"Iran wants to make a deal, and I don't want to make it because the terms aren't good enough yet," he said of ending the war with Iran in an interview with NBC News, adding that any terms will have to be "very solid."

Trump, though declining to tell what his terms would be, said that a commitment from Iran to completely abandon any nuclear ambitions would be part of those terms for a ceasefire.

His remarks came two weeks after the United States and Israel started massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, which are disrupting global shipping, sending oil prices soaring, and shaking the global economy.

As the strikes entered the third week, they are wreaking increasingly severe havoc on global energy and economic markets.

Trump said he is asking the countries affected by the war to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open and safe amid surges in global oil prices.

The strait is one of the world's most critical shipping lanes, particularly for oil tankers. Trump said Saturday that several countries have committed to helping secure the strait, but declined to name any of them.

"They've not only committed, but they think it's a great idea," he said.

In a post on Truth Social earlier on Saturday, Trump called on the countries that receive oil through the strait to "take care of that passage," claiming the United States will "coordinate" the joint efforts.

Separately, he wrote in another post that many countries "will be sending war ships" to keep the strait open, without offering any details.

When asked in the telephone interview with NBC News whether the U.S. Navy would start escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the president said, "I don't want to tell you anything about that," but added that "it's possible." ■