President Donald Trump said he does not care if Iran ends negotiations with the United States, hours after Iranian state media reported Tehran may pull out of talks due to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
In a telephone interview with CNBC, Trump stated: “I don’t care if they’re over, honestly… I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less.”
Trump added that Iran had not formally notified the US of its decision to abandon the talks. He said even if such a message arrives, it would not immediately trigger US military action against Iran.
The US president made the remarks as tensions escalated over Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Iran has accused Israel of violating a fragile ceasefire and has frozen exchanges with the US on the matter, according to the Tasnim news agency.
Trump announced a new Lebanon truce following a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Hezbollah has agreed not to attack Israel, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not enter Beirut.
“Moments after announcing Lebanon truce, Trump claims talks with Iran ‘rapidly continuing’,” the Times of Israel reported.
Trump also told CNBC he planned to ask Netanyahu, “What’s going on with Lebanon,” where Israeli forces have intensified operations. Hebrew media reported the Trump-Netanyahu call took place on Monday.
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Israeli forces recently captured the strategic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu described the operation, saying forces “returned stronger than ever.”
Hezbollah has continued attacks on Israeli civilian and military positions, including a drone strike near Beaufort Castle that killed one IDF soldier and wounded three others.
The group has cited Israel’s establishment of a buffer zone in southern Lebanon as a reason for its actions.
An Israeli source said planned strikes on Beirut were postponed after Trump’s truce announcement.
The United Nations expressed alarm over the situation in Lebanon and called for the ceasefire to be respected. Iran’s foreign ministry held the US responsible for ceasefire breaches.
Trump claimed oil prices will drop significantly once the conflicts end. “I think the oil will be dropping like a rock in the very near distance,” he told CNBC.
The developments come amid a complex regional picture. Iran has reopened most entrances to 18 underground missile sites that were struck earlier in the war. Israeli officials have said they will renew strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut if needed, after lobbying for US approval.
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In Israel, the Knesset advanced a bill to dissolve parliament, with votes scheduled for Monday night. The government is also moving forward with tax benefits for settlers while delaying aid packages for communities in northern Israel affected by the fighting with Hezbollah.
Public protests continued in Israel over the arrest of Haredi draft dodgers, with ultra-Orthodox demonstrators blocking roads and railway tracks.
The situation between Israel and Iran remains tense. Trump has sought changes to any potential Iran deal, with particular focus on Tehran’s uranium stockpile. The US has conducted strikes on vessels attempting to breach Iran-related blockades.
