Washington: US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Iran is seeking to negotiate a deal, but he remains uninterested. "They want to make a deal. I don't," Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. He asserted that his military objectives were achieved "weeks ahead of schedule" and claimed that the US had "blown Iran off of the map." Trump further stated that Iran's leadership, navy, and air force had been eliminated, leaving Tehran with "absolutely no defense."

According to Anadolu Agency, Trump's comments followed his previous claim on Friday that Washington was open to talks with Iran, although he stated there was "nobody to talk to" after weeks of strikes that he said decimated Iranian leadership. Earlier, Trump mentioned that Iran had reached out for discussions, to which he agreed, but also noted that Iran wanted to negotiate but was "not ready."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has refuted any claims that Tehran is seeking to exit the conflict, emphasizing that Iran "never asked for a ceasefire" and is "ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes." Trump initially suggested that the military campaign would last four to five weeks, a timeline he later revised, indicating operations were proceeding "ahead of schedule." However, on Friday, he mentioned considering a 'winding down' of the campaign.

The US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which began on February 28, have reportedly resulted in 1,300 deaths, including the then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Tehran has launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and infrastructure damage. Since the commencement of the campaign, fourteen US service members have lost their lives.