President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump says the US ultimately will leave Iran with or without a deal but warns that if no agreement is reached, the US will send Iran “into the stone age.”
By World Israel News Staff
The United States will eventually end the conflict with Iran whether or not the Trump administration reaches an agreement with the regime, President Donald Trump said, warning that without a peace deal, the US would be forced to inflict severe damage on the Islamic Republic.
On Tuesday, the president spoke with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House, telling them that the US military operation against Iran will be limited in duration, regardless of whether Iran agrees to American terms for a ceasefire.
“No, Iran doesn’t have to make a deal, no,” Trump said when asked if the withdrawal of US forces was contingent on reaching a deal with Iran.
“No, they don’t have to make a deal with me.”
In lieu of an agreement, however, the president said that the US would use military force to destroy Iran’s ability to reconstruct its nuclear program anytime in the foreseeable future.
“When we feel that they are for a long period of time, put into the Stone Age, and they won’t be able to come up with a nuclear weapon; then we’ll leave, whether we have a deal or not. It’s irrelevant.”
Trump added that the US operation will be completed “in a fairly short period of time.”
However, the president also expressed optimism regarding the prospects for a deal.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of people. They are a new regime. They are much more accessible.”
“They said, ‘We have a present for you, Mr. President, out of respect.'”
“It is possible that we’ll have a deal because they want to make a deal. They want to make a deal more than I want to make a deal. But in a fairly short period of time, we’ll be finished.”
Trump acknowledged that the US may be forced to strike Iran again sometime in the future to prevent the regime from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“They will not be able to do a nuclear weapon for years. And when they are ready, maybe, in a long time from now, to do a nuclear weapon, you will have a president that will be like me and that he will go there and he will knock the hell out of them again.”
Sources close to Netanyahu separately denied that the reported conversation occurred.
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