Trump Says Iran Deal Is No Longer His Goal as U.S. Weighs Strikes

President Donald Trump said he no longer wants to pursue a deal with Iran as the U.S. military prepares for possible strikes, raising fresh uncertainty for energy and global markets.

Speaking at a campaign rally in San Antonio late Wednesday, Trump said Iran was willing to offer major concessions to stop the conflict. He added that Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, had been working on negotiations.

Trump’s national security team has discussed resuming large-scale military operations in the coming weeks. Possible targets include Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear sites.

The conflict has kept crude oil prices elevated even as oil shipments from the Gulf, excluding Iran, along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, recover toward pre-conflict levels. Combined volumes were about 18.5 million barrels per day.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeli Baghaei rejected claims that uncertainty over Iran’s leadership was blocking negotiations, saying U.S. officials had sent contradictory messages.

The immediate next step is whether the administration authorizes renewed military operations while diplomatic discussions remain unresolved.