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“I did have to say we have to do something about Iran, because regardless of how well we’re doing [economically] we can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” he said in the interview, which was published Wednesday. “They’ve already agreed they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.”
When asked to confirm that the Iranian regime had agreed to that term, Trump said: “Oh yeah, they’ve agreed to that.”
“I mean, now they can change their mind, but that was one of the things they’ve had to agree, they’ve agreed to that. That was the big thing,” he said.
Iran’s foreign ministry declined to comment on Trump’s interview when contacted by CNBC.
The war, which is approaching its 100th day, is currently at an impasse as Washington and Tehran have failed to progress their ceasefire into a more permanent peace deal.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that talks between the two sides were ongoing, despite Iranian state media reporting that the country’s leadership stopped exchanging communications with the U.S. several days earlier.
Mixed messaging on negotiations has been a continuing feature of the conflict, with the two parties repeatedly giving conflicting updates on where peace talks stand.
Shortly after Trump’s interview went live on Wednesday, oil prices were continuing to climb while U.S. stock futures were mixed.
Oil prices are holding below the $100 mark, but have remained elevated through the duration of the conflict as the Strait of Hormuz — a critical oil shipping route — has effectively been closed.
When asked during the interview whether the blockade of the waterway would still be in place by Labor Day, Trump said, “I think it could be, but I think it’s unlikely.”
“I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” he said.
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