US President Donald Trump has said the United States could end its war with Iran soon while reserving the option for limited future strikes.
Speaking hours before he was scheduled to make a primetime address to the nation on April 1, Trump told Reuters that "we're going to be out pretty quickly" after being asked when the US would consider the conflict to be over.
While he said "I can't tell you exactly" when the war would end, he argued that a primary objective had already been achieved as US military action had neutralized Iran’s nuclear capacity.
"They won't have a nuclear weapon because they are incapable of that now, and then I'll leave, and I'll take everybody with me," he said. "And if we have to we'll come back to do spot hits."
Trump said separately on social media that Iran had asked for a truce but that he would not consider it until Tehran ceased blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major fuel shipment route.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said "Iran’s New Regime President" had "just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!"
"We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear," he added. "Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"
Iran later denied Trump's claim, state television reported, citing the Foreign Ministry.
"Trump's statements about Iran's request for a cease-fire are false and baseless," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei was quoted as saying.
Several hours later, Mehdi Tabatabai, a spokesperson for the office of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, said in a post on X that an important letter to the American people from Iran's president would be released "in a few hours." He gave no further details in the post.
Trump also told Reuters that he would use his nationwide speech on April 1 to say he was "absolutely" considering withdrawing the United States from NATO for what he considers the alliance's lack of support for US objectives in Iran.
His remarks echoed comments he made earlier in an interview with the British newspaper The Telegraph, where he called the military alliance a “paper tiger” and said leaving NATO was “beyond reconsideration.”
The interview, published on April 1, came hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "unfortunately" the Trump administration will have to "reexamine the value of NATO and that alliance for our country."
"I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way." Trump said.
Trump and other US officials have repeatedly questioned the value of the alliance if the United States cannot freely use bases in allied countries to defend its own interests.
Media reports this week claimed that Spain and Italy -- both NATO members -- had denied permission for US military aircraft to use their air bases for military operations in Iran.
The US administration has also been critical of the reluctance of NATO members to send war ships to break up Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway used to transport about 20 percent of the world's oil and gas.
Several European allies have refused to get directly involved in the US-Israeli war with Iran, which has seen daily air strikes launched on the Middle Easter country. Tehran has responded by firing missiles and launching drones at targets around the Middle East, escalating fears of a widening conflict.
Some of NATO’s key members reacted sharply to Trump’s comments, defending the alliance and its actions.
When asked about Trump’s interview, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Firstly, NATO is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen, and it has kept us safe for many decades, and we are fully committed to NATO.”
“Secondly, that whatever the pressure on me and others, whatever the noise, I’m going to act in the British national interest in all the decisions that I make…And that’s why I’ve been absolutely clear that this is not our war and we’re not going to get dragged into it.
A German government spokesperson also reaffirmed Berlin's commitment to the alliance, while Alice Rufo, the minister delegate to France’s defense minister, told a conference on April 1 that NATO is “a military alliance concerned with the security of the Euro-Atlantic region. It is not designed to carry out operations in the Strait of Hormuz, which would be a breach of international law.”
Starmer announced that the UK will convene talks with about 35 countries this week on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and that the meeting would "consider all feasible diplomatic and political measures to restore freedom of navigation, ensure the safety of stranded ships and seafarers, and resume the movement of vital goods."
He added that military planners would also be engaged to "make the Strait accessible and secure after the fighting ends."
Rubio struck a more optimistic chord on the war itself, saying the "finish line" is in sight.
In an interview on Fox News Channel's Hannity show on March 31, he said that "there are talks going on" to end the war, with the possibility of a "direct meeting at some point."
"We can see the finish line. It's not today, it's not tomorrow, but it is coming," he said, but did not elaborate.
Prospects for a deal to end the war, which began on February 28, have grown in recent days.
Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian said late on March 31 that his country has the "necessary will" to end the conflict with the United States and Israel depending on conditions such as security guarantees.
The United States said last week it put forward a 15-point plan that includes Iran dismantling its nuclear facilities, limiting its missile capabilities, and ending its support for regional proxy forces.
Trump said on March 31 that the fighting could end in two to three weeks, further buoying sentiment that a settlement is within reach.
"There are messages being exchanged, there are talks going on. There is the potential for a direct meeting at some point," Rubio told Fox News.
