'Can't let lunatics have nuclear weapon': Donald Trump on why Iran war is continuing

US President Donald Trump said the US is in a war with Iran because “lunatics can’t have a nuclear weapon”, even though he has told the US Congress that the conflict stands terminated. Speaking at an event in Florida, Trump said: “You know, we're in a war because I think you would agree we cannot let lunatics have a nuclear weapon. Do you agree?” His remarks drew chants of “USA” from the crowd.

Trump also said he had rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the conflict, which was conveyed through Pakistan, and said he was not ready to end the war early. On the other side, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran remained open to diplomacy if Washington changed what he called its “excessive approach, threatening rhetoric and provocative actions”. He also said Iran’s armed forces remained ready to defend the country against any threat.

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Despite facing a 60-day war deadline that would require Congressional approval for any extension, Trump kept up his sharp rhetoric. He said US action had prevented a nuclear catastrophe. “We stopped them (Iran) with the B2 bombers. If we didn't do that, they would've had a nuclear weapon. Israel, the Middle East, and Europe would have been blown to pieces,” he said.

Trump also said Iran’s military capability had been severely degraded. “They have no navy. They have no air force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. They have no radar. Their leaders are all gone,” he said. Reaffirming his position, Trump said Iran would not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has long insisted on its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, a claim Western powers dispute, saying it aims to build nuclear weapons.

Rejecting the latest proposal, which Pakistan received on Thursday night and presented on Friday in an effort to restart negotiations, Trump said: “We're not going to leave early and have this kind of problem arise in three more years,” He described Tehran’s leadership as divided, saying: “It's a very disjointed leadership. They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up,” he added.

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He later told reporters as he left the White House for Florida: “They want to make a deal, but ... I'm not satisfied with it,” and said Iran was seeking concessions he could not accept. He also said its leadership was split into “two or three groups”.

Outlining his options, Trump said: “Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal?” He added, “On a human basis, I prefer not,” when asked if he supported military escalation. Trump also praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts and said talks were continuing by phone. “They've made strides, but I'm not sure if they ever get there,” he said. “They're asking for things that I can't agree to.”

The remarks came amid continuing pressure on Tehran in other areas. According to an Axios report citing Pentagon estimates, the US blockade in the Gulf of Oman and nearby maritime routes has cost Iran nearly $4.8 billion in oil revenue. The assessment said Iran had been denied close to $5 billion in oil earnings because of disruptions linked to US enforcement operations targeting sanctioned maritime trade and energy exports, amid tensions around shipping routes near the Strait of Hormuz.

Highlighting the report, Sean Parnell, identified as Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Chief Pentagon Spokesman, quoted Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez as saying on X: “The United States' blockade in the Strait of Hormuz is operating with full force and delivering the decisive impact we intended.”

Valdez added, “We are inflicting a devastating blow to the Iranian regime's ability to fund terrorism and regional destabilisation. Our Armed Forces in the region will continue to maintain this unrelenting pressure.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also called the Iranian leadership “rats in a sewer pipe” and wrote on X that the United States had complete control of the Strait of Hormuz and that the blockade would continue until there was “pre-February 27 Freedom of Navigation”.

In response, the Iranian Embassy in South Africa said: “Everyone knows that you and your pedophile boss lost the war, and those pathetic noises you make come from pain, not victory. You lost both on the battlefield and in cyberspace. Idiot.” On April 13, the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iran following the failure of the Islamabad Talks to end the war.