STORY: :: Trump says the U.S. will not leave Iran early
:: The Villages, Florida / May 1, 2026
"I spoke to them today. We're discussing. It's a little hard to figure out who their leaders are, frankly. You know, their leaders are gone. The first set is gone, the second set is gone, Khamenei was gone. And they were pretty evil people. Not pretty evil, they were evil. They killed 42,000 protesters, 42,000. And in a period of two weeks, they killed 42,000 protesters. But we had to get this done. And we're really doing well. We're just winning. If it were a fight, they'd stop it. If this were a fight, they'd stop it. You know that expression? It's true. But they're not coming through with the kind of deal that we have to have. And we're going to get this thing done properly. We're not going to leave early and then have the problem arise in three more years."
Trump said on Friday he was not satisfied with the latest Iranian proposal for talks on the Iran war, while Iran's foreign minister said Tehran was ready for diplomacy if the United States changes its approach.
Trump's comments indicated the deadlock over the two-month-old war is likely to persist, even as he looks to end a conflict that remains deeply unpopular among Americans.
Though the United States and Iran have suspended hostilities since an April 8 ceasefire, the two countries remain at odds over a range of issues, including Iran's nuclear ambitions and control over the Strait of Hormuz, and the two sides have yet to agree to a second meeting, following a brief summit of senior officials in Islamabad last month.
