US President Donald Trump expressed confidence on Tuesday that a deal with Iran to extend a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz would be reached "over the next week," even as he publicly brushed off the prospect of negotiations collapsing entirely.
Speaking to ABC News, Trump said he has not yet agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding for reopening the strategic waterway, explaining, "I still have to get a few more points."
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply passes, had been threatened with a complete blockade by Iranian negotiators, according to earlier reports Monday.
The diplomatic turbulence came after Iranian negotiators reportedly signaled they would halt talks with Washington and move to close the strait, citing Israel's ongoing military operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
Yet Trump, speaking separately to CNBC's Eamon Javers in a phone interview, appeared remarkably unbothered. "I don't care if they're over, honestly. I really don't care. I couldn't care less," he told CNBC, adding that the drawn-out discussions had grown tedious. "If they're over, they're over. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring."
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When asked whether Iranian officials had formally told him negotiations were finished, Trump said, "No, they haven't," and later posted on Truth Social that "Talks are continuing, at a rapid pace, with the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Trump also revealed he had spoken directly with Hezbollah through intermediaries, claiming both sides agreed to halt hostilities. "They agreed that all shooting will stop, that Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel," he wrote.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, maintained a harder line, warning that Israel would strike Beirut if attacks on Israeli cities continued.
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שוחחתי הערב עם הנשיא טראמפ ואמרתי לו שאם חיזבאללה לא יחדל לתקוף את ערינו ואזרחינו - ישראל תתקוף מטרות טרור בביירות.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 1, 2026
עמדתנו זו עומדת בעינה.
במקביל, צה״ל ימשיך לפעול כמתוכנן בדרום לבנון.
On the economic front, Trump downplayed concerns over rising oil prices triggered by the diplomatic uncertainty. "I think the oil will be dropping like a rock in the very near distance," he told CNBC, arguing that Americans would accept short-term pain to prevent Iran from acquiring 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," he said.
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