U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran "very much wants" to make a deal with Washington but he doubts Tehran would comply with a potential agreement.
Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One after the 36th NATO summit of heads of state and government in Ankara.
Deal with Iran and Military Situation
Assessing military operations against Iran, Trump said, "Every time they hit us, we will respond twenty times stronger. We did exactly that last night."
Trump noted that Iran also retaliated but that this was a reaction to U.S. strikes, and he claimed they had won militarily and that Iran had very few capabilities left.
"Militarily, we have already won. They have very few means left."
Trump said Tehran is eager for a deal and recently contacted the U.S.
"They very much want to make a deal. They reached out to us recently. They want it so much that I'm not sure whether to go for such a deal. I don't trust them to abide by the agreements we reach. That's the problem."
Asked about Iran's attacks on commercial ships, Trump replied, "To be honest, it seems a bit crazy. They are acting erratically, but they very much want a deal."
NATO Summit and Trade with Turkey
Trump assessed the NATO summit in Ankara very positively, emphasizing relations with Turkey in particular.
"We had two very good days. We signed very good trade agreements with Turkey. They have been a very good partner."
Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying, "He was magnificent."
The U.S. leader also found his meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa positive. Trump said, "He did an excellent job. He managed to unite Syria."
Trump said he had a "very good meeting" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and noted there was real unity among NATO leaders.
"Today we saw real unity. NATO has really come a long way."
Trump said European allies have taken significant steps to increase defense spending, and that the U.S. had long carried an unfair burden but many issues were resolved today.
Returning to Iran, Trump added that what is happening is more about eliminating the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons than a war, and that everyone should be pleased with that.
