President Donald Trump on Monday shrugged off the possible collapse of peace negotiations with Iran, telling CNBC, "I don't care if they're over, honestly."
"I really don't care. I couldn't care less," Trump told CNBC's Eamon Javers in a phone interview midday Monday, saying he thought the protracted discussions "started to get very boring."
Trump had been asked about the prospect of Iran ending talks with the U.S. in light of reporting earlier Monday that Iranian negotiators would take that step — and also move to "completely block" the Strait of Hormuz — due to Israel's military operations in Lebanon against the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah.
Asked if the Iranians told him that they are not going to negotiate further, Trump said, "No, they haven't."
"If they're over, they're over ... frankly, I thought they started to get very boring."President Donald Trump
Trump said he was "going to ask" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "what's going on with Lebanon."
Trump said in a Truth Social post Monday afternoon that he "had a very productive call" with Netanyahu. "There will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back," Trump wrote.
He said in the same post that he spoke with Hezbollah "through highly placed Representatives," and "they agreed that all shooting will stop — That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel."
In another post, Trump wrote, "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Netanyahu, in an X post later Monday, said he told Trump that "if Hezbollah does not cease attacking our cities and citizens—Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut."
"This stance of ours remains unchanged. In parallel, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon," Netanyahu wrote.
In his call with CNBC, Trump said he wasn't worried about oil prices, which had spiked after Iranian state news outlet Tasnim reported earlier Monday that Tehran was halting negotiations and clamping down on the Hormuz Strait.
"I think the oil will be dropping like a rock in the very near, you know, the very near distance," Trump said.
But he also insisted that Americans who understand the importance of halting Iran's nuclear ambitions will not mind higher gas prices as a result of the war.
"Once you explain that this is all about Iran having a nuclear weapon, people are willing to pay a little bit more," he said.
Trump asserted that prices at the pump will drop "very quickly." But he also repeatedly signaled he was in no hurry to restart the stalled negotiations with Iran.
"If they're over, they're over. If they're not, you know, I think they took too much time. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring," Trump told CNBC.
Asked if he believed it was time to formally end the U.S.-Iran ceasefire that is nominally still in place, Trump said, "Let's say I knew exactly what you're asking ... and I sort of do. Why would I tell you?"
He also said that the U.S.' NATO allies "should come in and help us out" because they rely on the oil that flows through the Hormuz Strait more than the U.S. does.
"We don't need it, we have a lot of oil," he said.
But when asked if he has reached out to NATO to participate in reopening the strait, Trump said, "They would if I wanted them to, but I'm not sure I want them to."
"We don't need them. We don't need NATO. They were very, very weak and very sad, what they said," Trump said. "They said, 'We'll help you as soon as the war is over.'"
Read the full transcript of Trump's call with CNBC:
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Hello.
EAMON JAVERS
Hello, Mr. President. It's Eamon Javers here with CNBC. How are you, sir?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Hello, Eamon. What's going on, Eamon?
EAMON JAVERS
Well, I see that markets are moving on this idea that the Iranians say they're not going to negotiate anymore, and I wonder if you can confirm?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
What does that mean they are moving?
EAMON JAVERS
Well the oil market, oil prices have moved dramatically more than 8% when that news crossed. So the idea is that oil is going to get more expensive if the war is not going to come to an end, because the Iranians won't negotiate. Have the Iranians told you that they're not going to negotiate, or what is your sense?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
No, they haven't. They told you so, they only want to tell the fake news, Eamon. They only want to tell CNN, which, and you don't get any more fake than your company. Let's see I'm just looking at the prices, and oil went up 7%.
EAMON JAVERS
7%, yeah.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Well, that's part of being a negotiator, but they don't have any cards, because a lot of people would be very happy. Stock market is just down a little bit. Yeah, it's alright.
EAMON JAVERS
Do you think the negotiations are over now, or is this a bluff?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
I don't care if they're over, honestly. I really don't care. I couldn't care less. If they're over, they're over. If they're not, you know, I think they took too much time. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring. They were giving us what we needed, but I think I think they handled the negotiations poorly. It took too long. I thought they were tapping us along that's all. Yeah, they were.
EAMON JAVERS
You think they were stalling for time?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Yeah. I thought that, yeah, I did.
EAMON JAVERS
So, what's the way forward now? Then, how do you get the strait open now?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
I'd say there's about now, well, the strait is already open. If you think all you have to do is take a look at the many boats that have gone out of there over the last week. You do know that, you know, boats have been leaving, and we have, and we have the blockade, we blockade them, they blockaded the strait, and then we blockaded them, and our blockade is a lot tougher than their blockade. As far as I'm concerned, they can, they can continue to lose $500 million a day, which is what they lose because of the blockade, they can continue to lose that. And so, what is their problem? Their problem is with Israel, right?
EAMON JAVERS
It seems to be, they're saying that they're not going to negotiate until Israel stops attacking in Lebanon. Have you, have you talked to Netanyahu about that?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
No, but I'm going to ask him what's going on with Lebanon. Been fighting a long time, they've been fighting a long time.
EAMON JAVERS
Are you worried about oil prices—
PRESIDENT TRUMP
No
EAMON JAVERS
Given the apparent breakdown of negotiations? No?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
No, I don't worry about that, no.
EAMON JAVERS
And why not? Are you confident this will be over in a short time,
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Yeah –
EAMON JAVERS
Or are you confident the oil market can ride it out?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
I think the oil will be dropping like a rock in the very near, you know, the very near distance. I think oil is going to come down very much. You have 1,700 boats right now that are loaded up with oil, and that's going to be like an oil gusher. So I'm not worried about it at all, and the people understand it, and the only thing I care about, the thing I care about, I care about everything, but the thing I care about most at this point in life is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. And if they want to try and have a new nuclear weapon, I will blow them up to kingdom come.
EAMON JAVERS
One of the things that we've seen is a real concern out there about price of gas among Americans. What's your message to Americans about the price of gas?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
It'll go down very quickly as soon as it's over, and Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. Once you explain that this is all about Iran having a nuclear weapon, people are willing to pay a little bit more, and but it'll, it'll happen very quickly, and as soon as that happens, gasoline will get down to $1.85 like it was in Iowa three months ago. I was in Iowa, was $1.85 a gallon, and when it was really getting low.
EAMON JAVERS
And you say when this is all over – so how do you bring this to an end now if negotiations are not happening and the ceasefire is in place? Is there, is it time to end the ceasefire?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Well we will see. Let's say, let's say I knew exactly what, you know, what you're asking to do now, sort of. And I sort of do. Why would I tell you?
EAMON JAVERS
Fair enough. Fair enough. I mean, I think just global markets watch this, and they're trying to figure out, you know, what's the end game here.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Well, I think then NATO should come in and help us out, you know, because they're the ones we don't use the strait, we don't need it. We have a lot of oil, we have more oil than Saudi Arabia and Russia combined, times two, so we don't need the oil, but Europe does. We're out there doing a service for a lot of other people, primarily because we still don't think we can. We know we can't allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, so that's why we're doing it. That's why I'm doing it.
EAMON JAVERS
Have you talked to anybody in NATO about that? I mean, have they changed their tune on the strait?
PRESIDENT TRUMP
They would, if I wanted them to, but they would. I want them to. We don't need them. We don't need NATO. They were very, very weak and very sad. What they said, they said we'll help you as soon as the war is over. NATO, Europe has lost its way. They have a tremendous immigration problem, and they have a tremendous energy problem, because all they want to do is build windmills all over the place, so anyway.
Well, call me. You can call me tomorrow, and I'll talk to you about it. Let's see what's going on - okay?
EAMON JAVERS
Thank you, Mr. President. Really appreciate your time here.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
Thank you very much.
EAMON JAVERS
Okay, bye bye.
