Iran asking for truce: Trump vows to keep blasting Tehran until Hormuz is free

US President Donald Trump said Iran’s new leadership has reached out seeking a ceasefire, but warned the United States would not consider it unless the strategic Strait of Hormuz is reopened to global shipping. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump does not mention the top official by name, but describes the individual as "much less radicalised and far more intelligent than his predecessors".

However, the US President made clear any pause in hostilities would come with conditions tied to maritime security. "We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear," he added, referring to the vital oil transit route at the centre of the escalating crisis.

As the Iran conflict drags into its fifth week, Trump repeated that military operations would continue. "Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!" he said.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which over 20 per cent share of the world’s oil supply passes, has become a flashpoint after Iran moved to restrict traffic following US and Israeli strikes.

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the Strait of Hormuz is "firmly and dominantly" and added the strait "will not be opened to the enemies of this nation by the ridiculous displays of the US President."

WHO REACHED OUT TO TRUMP FOR A CEASEFIRE?

Trump said "Iran’s New Regime President," however, Iran still has the same president. President Masoud Pezeshkian, elected in 2024, remains in office and has appeared publicly, saying Iran has the "necessary will" to end the war.

Tehran has denied any direct negotiations, stating only that limited messages have been exchanged with the US through intermediaries, casting doubt on Trump’s claim.

Minutes later, he told Reuters, the United States will be "out of Iran pretty quickly" and could return for "spot hits" if needed. Asked when the US would consider the Iran war over, Trump said he could not give a precise timeline, adding: "I can’t tell you exactly we’re going to be out pretty quickly."

The US President’s latest remarks are the exact opposite of what he said a day before. Earlier on Tuesday, Trump had signalled he may not wait for diplomacy to catch up with the battlefield. "We’ll leave whether we have a deal or not. It’s irrelevant," Trump told reporters late Tuesday, adding that the US could wrap up its involvement within "two or three weeks".

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has continued to ramp up its military presence in the Middle East. Trump made clear that any withdrawal would come only after further strikes.

"I would still want to knock out every single thing there," he said.

"They don’t have to make a deal with me when we feel that they are, for a long period of time, put into the stone ages" without being able to "come up with a nuclear weapon", he added.