Trump Says US Not Ready for Iran Deal, Claims Kharg Island "Completely Destroyed," Doubts New Iranian Leader Is Alive

In a nearly 30-minute phone interview with NBC News, President Donald Trump said that while Iran wants to end the war, he is not ready to make a deal because "the conditions are not good enough yet." He declined to specify what conditions would be required, though he confirmed any deal would require Iran to fully abandon its nuclear ambitions. Trump said he is working with multiple countries on a plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz following the surge in global oil prices. He dismissed Americans' concerns about rising gasoline prices — which climbed from $2.94 on March 1 to $3.66 by Saturday — since the start of the joint US-Israel military operation two weeks ago, saying "I'm not worried about it at all" and promising prices would fall after the war ends. The president publicly questioned whether Iran's new leader Mojtaba Khamenei "is even alive," noting he has not appeared publicly. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously said the younger Khamenei was "wounded and likely disfigured." Trump said: "I hear he's not alive, and if he is alive, he needs to do something very smart for his country, and that is surrender." He described reports about Khamenei's possible death as "rumor" and said no definitive information is available. Trump claimed US strikes on Kharg Island on Saturday "almost completely destroyed the entire island," adding: "Maybe we'll hit it one or two more times for fun." He also called for China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and other nations to send ships to the region to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, posting the request on Truth Social. Trump expressed surprise that Iran chose to attack other Middle Eastern countries in retaliation for the US-Israel operation, saying US allies in the region had been "fantastic" and were targeted "for no reason." UAE data showed 1,475 drones had been fired toward the country by March 10. On Iran's remaining military capabilities, Trump said: "The only power they have, and it's a power that can be blocked fairly quickly, is the ability to lay mines or fire short-range missiles. But when we're done with the coastline, they won't have that power either." Trump also commented on reports of Russia providing intelligence to Iran: "Russia may be giving information, maybe not." He separately criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky, saying reaching a deal with him was "much more difficult" than with Putin, adding Zelensky was "the last person we'd ask for help."