Trump Says Iran Seeks Direct Talks After US Military Campaign, Signals Hope for Diplomatic Breakthrough

Washington, July 2026 : US President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran has sought direct negotiations with the United States following an intense American military campaign, expressing optimism that diplomacy could produce a breakthrough while warning that military operations would resume if talks failed.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while travelling to Michigan, Trump defended the recent US military actions against Iran, claiming they had significantly weakened Tehran’s military capabilities and compelled its leadership to return to the negotiating table.

“We’ve pretty much destroyed their military. They want to meet, and we’re meeting. We’ll see what happens. There’s a chance we could make a deal,” Trump said, adding that Iran would not have agreed to talks had the United States failed to exert military pressure.

According to the President, Iranian officials reached out to Washington both directly and through intermediaries, seeking an opportunity to reduce tensions and begin discussions.

“They would not have requested the meeting if we were doing poorly. The only reason they want to meet is that we’ve been hitting them very hard,” Trump remarked, describing the outreach as evidence that the US strategy had succeeded.

Despite the continuing tensions, Trump said he was prepared to give diplomacy a chance. “I have plenty of time,” he said, while suggesting that the military campaign had severely damaged Iran’s coastal military infrastructure.

He also claimed that Iranian representatives had requested Washington to refrain from launching additional strikes while negotiations were underway. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen. And if it does, that’s good. If it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago,” the President said, signalling that military action remains an option if talks collapse.

Responding to questions about Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s role during the conflict, Trump dismissed speculation of disagreements within his administration and praised his Defence Secretary’s leadership.

“No, I think he’s done a great job,” Trump said.

The President also sought to reassure Americans that continued military assistance to Ukraine had not weakened US defence preparedness. Rejecting concerns over dwindling weapons stockpiles, he said the United States possessed sufficient military resources while rapidly expanding domestic defence production.

“We have money. We have a lot of ammunition,” Trump said, acknowledging that large quantities of military equipment had previously been supplied to Ukraine but insisting that American defence manufacturing was now expanding at an unprecedented pace.

“We’re building it very rapidly. Plants are being built. A lot of equipment is being built. The Patriots in particular are being built. Every one of our contractors is building four to five plants right now,” he said.

While expressing confidence in the country’s military readiness, Trump admitted that the US would welcome larger inventories of advanced weapons systems. “For some of the more sophisticated stuff, we’d certainly like to have more,” he added.

The President also addressed reports suggesting that Russia may have shared satellite imagery of US military installations in the Gulf region with Iran. Trump said the matter would be investigated and indicated he intended to discuss it directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We’ll find out if that’s true. I’ll ask Putin about it,” he said.

However, Trump argued that even if such intelligence had been provided, it had little practical impact because Iran’s military capability had already been severely diminished.

“If they are, it hasn’t worked out because they have no Army, they have no Air Force. They have no Navy. If they have, it has been very unimpactful,” he asserted.

When asked whether Saudi Arabia had indicated any willingness to join the Abraham Accords, Trump said the issue had not been discussed during recent engagements.

The President also confirmed that he was scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying their positions on Iran remained closely aligned despite minor differences.

“We have a little difference, but pretty close,” Trump said. “Iran took a beating over the last 14 days. They asked us very nicely, ‘Please stop. Let’s meet.’ That’s where we are right now.”

Trump’s remarks come at a critical juncture in Middle East diplomacy, with Washington balancing military pressure and diplomatic engagement in an effort to prevent further regional escalation while exploring the possibility of a negotiated settlement with Tehran.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)