Trump Seeks Larger Victory Margin in Iran Conflict; Nuclear Talks Stalled

President Trump said the U.S. has won the conflict with Iran but wants to secure a larger margin of victory, emphasizing the need for guarantees that Iran will never possess nuclear weapons. He made the remarks during an interview with Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren on Thursday, highlighting the destruction of Iranian infrastructure.

“We’ve already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin,” Trump said. “We’ve destroyed everything. and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and other top officials. A ceasefire has held for weeks, but negotiations on a new nuclear deal remain frozen.

Iran delivered a new proposal for peace talks to the U.S. via mediator Pakistan, according to state media reports on Friday. naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels. The closure of the strait, a key oil trading route, has strained global energy supplies and driven up fuel costs.

Global oil prices hit a four-year high early Thursday, with Brent crude surging to $126 per barrel before dropping to around $111 later that morning. In the U.S., the average price of standard gas reached $4.39 a gallon on Friday, according to AAA.

Administration officials have described the rising energy costs as short-term disruptions tied to achieving a long-term peace deal. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that gas prices might not fall below $3 a gallon until next year, but President Trump called this assessment “totally wrong” in a phone call to The Hill.

A spokesperson stated last week that prices would plummet once traffic in the Strait of Hormuz normalizes, attributing the resolution to military successes and ongoing talks. President Trump also addressed reports of missing and dead scientists, stating there is no connection among the incidents.

Administration officials met with Chevron and oil traders amid the Iran standoff, as gasoline prices reached new four-year highs due to shrinking supplies. President Trump exited a pre-existing nuclear agreement with Iran during his first administration and is now attempting to broker a new deal.

He warned that Iran would use a nuclear weapon if it obtained one, saying, “I know people. ” The president highlighted military accomplishments in destroying Iranian military infrastructure, amid the ongoing push for stronger terms in any agreement.