Trump Says He Wants a Real End to Iran’s Nuclear Program, Not a Cease-Fire

President Donald Trump said on Monday that his early departure from the G7 summit in Canada was due to a matter “much bigger” than a cease-fire between Israel and Iran.

Trump told reporters he wanted a genuine end to Iran’s nuclear program, dismissing French President Emmanuel Macron’s earlier claim that the U.S. had made an offer to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Iran.

“I’m not looking for a cease-fire, we’re looking at better than a cease-fire,” Trump said aboard Air Force One, noting that his goal is for Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions entirely.

Trump later posted on Truth Social that his early departure from the summit had nothing to do with a cease-fire in the Iran-Israel conflict.

In a subsequent post, Trump clarified that he had not contacted the Iranian government to engage in any form of peace talks.

“ If they want to talk, they know how to reach me. They should have taken the deal that was on the table – Would have saved a lot of lives!!!” he stated on Truth Social.

U.S. and Iranian officials had previously engaged in negotiations as Trump pushed for Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Oman’s government, which has acted as a mediator in the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, said on June 14 that upcoming talks between the two sides were canceled following Israel’s recent airstrikes against Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the goal of the operation is to eliminate the existential threat posed by Iran’s alleged nuclear and missile programs.

Iran has since retaliated, deploying ballistic missiles and attack drones against Israel. The two nations have continued to exchange strikes.

Trump has urged residents to evacuate Tehran immediately and said that Iran should have accepted a nuclear disarmament deal with the United States earlier.

“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life,” he stated. “Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that the proposed nuclear agreement is still on the table and that it is up to Iran whether to accept it.

“We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal. And we certainly hope that’s what happens here,” Hegseth told Fox News.

“President Trump has made it clear that it’s on the table. The question is whether Iran will take it.”

The United States has made clear it is not involved in the attacks against Iran but said it remains committed to defending U.S. interests and personnel in the region.

Hegseth said on Monday that he had ordered the deployment of additional capabilities to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, to bolster U.S. defense posture in the region.

“Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region,” he said in a statement, without detailing the specific capabilities being deployed.

Iranian officials have declared that dialogue with the United States was no longer meaningful after Israel launched its attack.

“The other side acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime to target Iran’s territory,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told the state-affiliated Tasnim news agency on June 14.

The Iranian Ministry of Health said on Sunday that at least 224 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since June 13, including several top military officials and nuclear scientists.

Israel’s government said that 24 people have been killed in Iranian attacks as of June 16.

Tom Ozimek and Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.