Trump: 'I don't want to do a ceasefire' in Iran war
Source: CNBC
Published Fri, Mar 20 2026 3:48 PM EDT Updated 12 Min Ago
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he is not interested in a ceasefire with Iran.We could have dialogue, but I dont want to do a ceasefire, Trump said from the White House before departing for Florida. You know you dont do a ceasefire when youre literally obliterating the other side. They dont have a navy. They dont have an air force. They dont have any equipment, Trump continued.
Trumps comments come nearly three weeks into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, which has turned into a broader regional conflict. They signal no quick end to the conflict, which sent stocks tumbling on Friday and has caused oil prices to soar.
Earlier the same day Trump said in a phone call with MS Nows Stephanie Ruhle the U.S. could end the war right now, but planned to press on with its offensive.I think weve won, he said Friday from the South Lawn. All theyre doing is blocking up the Strait [of Hormuz]. But from a military standpoint, theyre finished.
Iran has effectively blocked off the Strait of Hormuz, a critical channel for oil and other goods, since the start of the war. Trump has blasted NATO allies in an attempt to recruit additional troops to help open the strait.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/20/trump-iran-war-ceasefire.html
Article updated.
Previous articles -
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he is not interested in a ceasefire with Iran.
"We could have dialogue, but I don't want to do a ceasefire," Trump said from the White House before departing for Florida. "You know you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side." "They don't have a navy. They don't have an air force. They don't have any equipment," Trump continued.
Trump's comments come nearly three weeks into the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, which has turned into a broader regional conflict.
The president said earlier this week that he would not put put boots on the ground in Iran. Multiple news outlets reported Friday that the Pentagon is sending up to 2,500 Marines to the Middle East -- the second such deployment in the last week.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he is not interested in a ceasefire with Iran.
"We could have dialogue, but I don't want to do a ceasefire," Trump said from the White House before departing for Florida. "You know you don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side."
"They don't have a navy. They don't have an air force. They don't have any equipment," Trump continued.
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Original article -
President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday he is not interested in a ceasefire with Iran.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
Prairie Gates
(8,079 posts)Trump is constantly trying to make a virtue of necessity, and the press lets him get away with it.
Irish_Dem
(81,076 posts)Hugin
(37,832 posts)Daddy's eternal love and approval. We're thoroughly screwn.
Irish_Dem
(81,076 posts)All the money and power in the world doesn't help him at all.
Orrex
(67,045 posts)bluestarone
(22,081 posts)get what he wants. I'm thinking. (BUT he will say he won)
Irish_Dem
(81,076 posts)Yes no matter what he will say he won.
BlueWavePsych
(3,330 posts)
RockRaven
(19,260 posts)The strait cannot be opened by force, as it is not closed physically but by loss-aversion. And the issue keeping it closed is not the risk rate but the magnitude -- a filled modern oil tanker has a value on the order of a quarter billion dollars. Incredibly high stakes per ship.
No amount of ongoing shooting and bombing will open the strait. Only Iranian assent will do that.
SamuelTheThird
(1,074 posts)Iran rejected overtures
Ray Bruns
(6,305 posts)paleotn
(22,159 posts)RussBLib
(10,608 posts)
and you have an ecological catastrophe on your hands.
Weve been there too many times already.
like nothing youve ever seen before.
PufPuf23
(9,814 posts)Netanyahu suggested the pipelines could end in Israel.
Doesn't solve the current problem but works well for Israel.
Looks to me that Israel intends to annex Gaza, West Bank, and parts of Lebanon and Syria in the current war.
Israel controlling passage of oil and gas now going through Straits of Hormuz would be a cherry on top for Greater Israel dominating the Middle East.
Xipe Totec
(44,551 posts)Ferrets are Cool
(22,918 posts)He is just trying to make it appear that it is his idea.
Dan
(5,144 posts)RussBLib
(10,608 posts)multigraincracker
(37,564 posts)How about taxing the crap out of the top 10% and big oil to pay for it. Might get you some votes.
William Seger
(12,420 posts)Domestic oil producers have made increased profits since crude prices started going up, so they, at least, should be subject to extra taxing, but they aren't the only ones who made windfall profits. I recently read an article that said it takes two to four weeks for crude oil to arrive as gasoline at pumps. That means that gas made from oil bought after crude prices started going up is just now being delivered. And yet, prices at the pump started creeping up within a day or two of the start of this mess -- nearly a dollar per gallon where I live -- simply because they could when everyone is raising them. When different people have the same objective, it isn't necessary for them to conspire.
multigraincracker
(37,564 posts)always goes up on Thursday and comes down on Monday, if we are lucky.
twodogsbarking
(18,621 posts)Bluetus
(2,721 posts)How will we know when we have won? What is the objective? What is the goal?
TBF
(36,539 posts)objective & goal - shiny penny so no one really investigates Epstein/Trump files
winning? - he doesn't care as long as he's got billions and he's not in jail
Wonder Why
(6,909 posts)Aussie105
(7,879 posts)And then pull out of the Middle East, leaving a big mess behind.
We Won! We Won!
Not running away, no siree, definitely not running away, that's not the Trump way!
William Seger
(12,420 posts)If you attack a country that wasn't threatening yours, and you're "literally obliterating the other side," only a dangerous psychopath would say "you don't do a ceasefire."
Martin68
(27,641 posts)We can't avoid the bloodshed and cruelty while he's president. Let him commit political suicide so it can stop.
bob4460
(390 posts)Turbineguy
(40,024 posts)TACO, TACO Ma-han
I got to be
A TACO Man.
hamsterjill
(17,542 posts)He can't hide that he doesn't know what in the hell he's doing.
Jack Valentino
(4,946 posts)This is the "Epstein Files Fury WAR" !!!!
(somehow tragically ironic that we managed to kill
a schoolhouse full of young underage Iranian girls---
surely our current dictator 'president' would have preferred to RAPE THEM FIRST,
and kill them afterwards !!!!)
If Iran could somehow manage to liberate us
from the plague we are suffering from right now,
I would buy their flag and fly it from the front of my house!
Orrex
(67,045 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(135,357 posts)cstanleytech
(28,448 posts)It would be interesting to see how much money Trump and his family have invested in oil and natural gas over the past 2 years and how much they stand to profit by having higher prices.
Martin68
(27,641 posts)Waaaaagh!