Trump says Iran wants US deal and doesn't want to be hit

US President Donald Trump said Friday that Iranian officials want to reach an agreement with Washington and "don't want to be hit," his assessment coming amid renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve months of escalating tensions in the Middle East. The White House has been pursuing talks with Tehran since earlier this year, though previous rounds have struggled to overcome fundamental disagreements.

"Look, it's obvious they don't want to be hit. They want to make a deal. So, we'll see," Trump told Punchbowl News in an interview released Friday. The president's remarks followed a volatile period in which Washington and Tehran traded military strikes across the region.

Stalled diplomacy

Washington and Tehran signed a framework agreement on June 18 and began negotiations on a final deal, but the talks later stalled amid disagreements over security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The diplomatic impasse persisted even as both sides continued to signal interest in avoiding further military confrontation.

Regional flare-ups

Tensions flared again last month after the US carried out fresh strikes inside Iran, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory attacks across the region, including in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait. Trump said Thursday that negotiations with Iran were progressing well and that an agreement could be reached soon, despite the recent military exchanges that have complicated the diplomatic landscape.