Trump says Iran sought deal after US strikes

President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that Iran had contacted the United States seeking a deal after American forces carried out strikes, while adding that he did not know whether the two countries were heading back into full-scale military conflict. His remarks kept the status of the confrontation in the Middle East uncertain after a new exchange of attacks.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after leaving the U.K.’s Mildenhall Air Force Base for Washington, Trump said U.S. forces had struck Iran “very hard.” He described the latest American action as a response to Iranian moves and said Washington would answer any attack with greater force.

“I say we hit them 20 to 1, every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them 20, and we did it last night,” Trump told reporters. “They did a little something today, but it was really retribution for last night … when they hit, we hit back much harder.”

Trump says status of conflict is unclear

Asked whether the United States and Iran were returning to full-scale war, Trump replied: “I don’t know.” He added that if hostilities resumed, he believed the United States would “win it very quickly.”

The president said the U.S. had “already won militarily” and claimed Iran had “very little left.” He did not provide additional details on the targets struck, the scale of damage, or any U.S. assessment underpinning that claim.

Trump said Tehran wanted to stop the escalation through negotiations, but he cast doubt on whether Iran would comply with any agreement. “They want to make a deal so badly. They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly,” he said. “I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal. I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal. That’s the problem.”

Trump did not describe the terms Iran was said to be seeking, the channel through which the contact occurred, or whether formal talks had begun. The comments indicated that the White House was weighing diplomacy alongside continued military pressure, but the president did not set out a timetable or conditions for an agreement.

Iran response not yet reported

CNBC said it had contacted the Iranian government for a response to Trump’s comments. No Iranian response was included in CNBC’s report.

The president made the remarks while returning to Washington after traveling through the United Kingdom. CNBC reported that he spoke to members of the press on Air Force One as he departed Mildenhall.

The exchange comes as U.S.-Iran tensions remain a central risk for governments and companies with exposure to the region. Trump’s comments offered no resolution on whether the confrontation would move toward talks or further military action, leaving policymakers and market participants to assess a still-fluid security situation based on statements from Washington and any response from Tehran.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.