Trump says Iran asked for ceasefire

President threatens to pull U.S. out of NATO

By: Michael Loria
Kim Hjeimgaard
Kate Perez
and Christopher Cann
USA Today

..... President Donald Trump promised the United States will soon end its war on Iran, as he threatened to pull out of NATO and sent conflicting messages on his strategy in the Middle East ahead of a prime time address to the nation.
..... In a Truth Social post on April 1, [2026] Trump said Iran's "new regime" president asked for ceasefire but added that he would only consider it when the Strati of Hormuz is open. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokespeople called the claim "false and baseless."
..... "Iran's New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, ahas just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!" Trump said in the post. "we will consider when Hormuz Strait is open free and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivions or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!"
..... It's unclear who Trump is referring to as "Iran's New Regime President." The country's president Masoud Pezeshkian has been in power since 2024.
..... Speaking to Reuters hours before his scheduled address, Trump expressed hope for a deal with Iran, adding: We have had full regime change. I'm dealing with a very good chance that we'll make a deal because they don't want to be blasted anymore."
..... "I didn't need regime change, but we got it because of the casualties of war. We got it. So we have regime change and the big thing we have is they're not going to have a nuclear weapon," said Trump, adding: "Nor do they want one."
..... When asked about enriched uranium believed to be stored in an underground complex at Isfahan, he told the outlet "that's so far underground, I don't care about that."
..... The president previously said that as part of the deal with Iran, U.S. authorities would retrieve the enriched uranium that remains under the Islamic Republic's control.

U.S. out of Iran "pretty quickly'

..... Meanwhile, Trump has also said the United States would leave Iran in a matter of weeks even if the strait remained closed and no ceasefire deal is struck.
..... "Iran reporters on March 30, [2026] adding that he would leave it to U.S. allied countries to open the critical shipping lane that's been effectively shutdown by Iran., surging global energy prices.
..... This is stark reversal from comments he made earlier in the week, [03/30/2026] when Trump threatened to bomb Iran's civilian infrastructure - including water and power plants - if the Islamic Republic did not strike a deal and open the strait.
..... Trump has twice delayed strikes on Iran's energy sites, citing negotiations that Iran has repeatedly denied.
..... The United States will be "out of Iran pretty quickly: and could return for "spot hits" if needed, Trump told Reuters early on April 1. [2026]
..... "Within two weeks, maybe, two weeks maybe three, he told reporters the day before in the Oval Office.
..... Rubio, on March 31, [2026] told Fox News Channel's "Hannity" that the United States could "see the finish line."

Hezbollah commander killed

..... Israel's military on April 1 [2026] said it killed senior Hezblollah commander Hai Youssef Ismail Hashem in the biggest blow to the group since a fresh bout of fighting with Israel erupted early last month. [03/2026]
..... Israel's navy killed Hashem, the commander of Hezbollah's southern front, the county's military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement on X. Hezbbollah later confirmed his death in a statement, calling him a "beacon of the Islamic Resistance."
..... The U.S. military has struck more than 12,000 targets in Iran and destroyed at least 155 Iranian vessels since the war stated on February 28, [2026] according to an April 1 [2026] update from U.S. central command.
..... The military has flown more than 13,000 combat flights during the war, according to the update.

Trump: U.S. could leave NATO

..... Trump said in an interview with a British newspaper that he's strongly considering pulling the United States out of the NATO military alliance because it did not join the United States and Israel war on Iran.
..... Trump told The Telegraph that the 32-member alliance that was founded in the aftermath of World War II to promote international cooperation and European security was a "paper tiger."
.... "Oh yes, I would say [it's] beyond reconsideration," Trump said in the interview when asked if he would reconsider U.S. membership in NATO after the war.
..... Trump has long disparaged NATO and sought to get other members of the alliance to boost their defense spending.
..... "I was never swayed by NATO," trumps said in the interview. "I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that, too, by the way."
..... A spokesperson for the alliance did not immediately return a comment request.
..... The President of Finland said he spoke with Trump on April 1 [2026] and that the two leaders discussed NATYO and the war in Iran.
..... "Constructive discussion and exchange of ideas on Nato, Ukraine and Iran. Problems are there to be solved, pragmatically," Alexander Stubb wrote on X.

Poll: Most in U.S. want war to end

..... New polling shows some two-thirds of Americas want the United States to quit it involvement even if it means the administration falls short of its objectives.
..... About 66% responders of a Reuters/Ipsos poll said they wanted U.S. officials to end the country's involvement in the war. Around 27% said the country should finish its mission, even if the war goes on for an extended period of time. About 6% of respondents did not answer the question.

..... Contributing: Reuters

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