Trump Keeps Military Option Open But Says Iran Wants a Deal Badly

With peace talks hitting a wall and CENTCOM quietly drawing up strike plans, President Donald Trump is walking a tightrope holding out hope for a nuclear deal while leaving the door wide open for fresh military action against Iran.

Trump Pushes Back on “Antsy” Label

When reporters at the White House pressed President Donald Trump on whether he was growing impatient given the stalled negotiations with what some called a “stubborn” Iran he pushed back firmly. “I don’t know what stubborn is, because really nobody knows what the talks are, except myself and a couple of other people,” Trump said. “They want to make a deal badly.”

The remarks came as Trump was scheduled to receive a high-stakes briefing from US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and other top military officials covering a range of potential strike options against Iran. The briefing, first flagged by multiple news outlets, signaled that Washington has not shelved its military playbook not by a long shot.

CENTCOM’s “Short and Powerful” Strike Plan

Behind closed doors, the situation looks far more tense. US Central Command known as CENTCOM has quietly prepared a plan for what insiders describe as a “short and powerful” wave of strikes. The goal to break the current deadlock and push Tehran toward greater flexibility at the negotiating table.

Beyond that, other options reportedly on the table include a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. There are also discussions about moves that would give the US greater control over the Strait of Hormuz the vital waterway that Iran has effectively used to choke global oil supplies.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the reported briefing. CENTCOM declined to comment as well.

A Deadlock on the High Seas

The ceasefire first announced on April 7 after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif brokered a conditional two-week pause has held in terms of direct fire. However, it has done little to move the needle on a lasting peace deal. Both sides have instead turned to economic pressure as their weapon of choice.

Iran has effectively halted commercial ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The US, in turn, hit back with a naval blockade of Iranian ports starting April 13. The result a deadlock that has sent global oil prices soaring, with the average price of a gallon of gas in the US now sitting at $4.30.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian made his government’s position clear and sharp. “What is being done under the guise of a naval blockade is an extension of military operations against a nation paying the price for its resistance and independence,” he wrote on X. “Continuation of this oppressive approach is intolerable,” he added.

Trump Says Iran’s Leadership Is “Disjointed”

Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump acknowledged that Iran has “made strides” in negotiations but added, “I’m not sure if they ever get there.” He pointed to what he described as deep divisions within Iran’s leadership as a major roadblock. “They’re having a tremendous problem getting along with each other,” he said.

“In Iran, the leadership is very disjointed. It’s got two to three groups, maybe four, and it’s a very disjointed leadership. And with that being said, they all want to make a deal, but they’re all messed up,” Trump said.

Trump also told Congress on Friday that hostilities with Iran “have terminated” a claim tied to the ceasefire in place since April 7. “The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote in letters to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President Chuck Grassley. The move came on what would have been the 60-day deadline under the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

The War Powers Clock And Congressional Pushback

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a US president must seek congressional authorization for military force within 60 days of starting hostilities. That clock, which started ticking when Trump notified Congress on March 2, hit its limit on May 1.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the countdown “pauses or stops in a ceasefire.” Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, fired back “I do not believe the statute would support that.”

Trump, for his part, was blunt about his intention to bypass Congress. “It’s never been sought before,” he told reporters. “They consider it totally unconstitutional, but we’re always in touch with Congress.”

Democrats have repeatedly pushed to rein in Trump’s war powers forcing multiple votes that have all failed. Even some Republicans are growing uneasy. Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who voted in favor of the latest war powers measure, said the 60-day deadline “is not a suggestion; it is a requirement.”

Trump to Iran: “Cry Uncle”

Trump has made one thing crystal clear a deal will not happen unless Iran agrees to never develop nuclear weapons. “The question is whether or not they are gonna go far enough. At this moment there will never be a deal unless they agree that there will never be nuclear weapons,” he said.

In a separate interview, Trump told reporters he wants Iran to “cry uncle” and say “we give up.” Tehran, however, has shown no sign of backing down and has made clear it does not share Trump’s view that it has already been defeated.

The standoff raw, high-stakes, and playing out in real time shows no clean resolution in sight.