President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is not interested in negotiating with Iran for now, despite saying U.S. representatives remain in contact with Iranian officials as military tensions continue to escalate.
Speaking with Fox News' Trey Yingst, Trump criticized the Iranian regime and blamed its latest delegation for preventing an agreement.
The interview came as the United States launched another round of strikes against Iran following accusations that Tehran violated a memorandum of understanding by attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and interfering with safe passage through the waterway.
Yingst asked Trump whether the U.S. had been negotiating with the "wrong people."
"Well, now, I don't want to negotiate now. I said, 'Let's not negotiate.' Three days ago, we had a deal," Trump said.
Even so, Trump indicated diplomatic contacts have not ended.
Asked when he last spoke with an Iranian official, Trump said his "representatives" had talked with Iranian officials "an hour ago." He did not elaborate on those discussions but said Iran wants to reach an agreement.
"They want to make a deal, but every time they make a deal, they break it," Trump said. "They don't want to die. People don't want to die."
The memorandum of understanding, signed by Trump and the Iranian president on June 17, was intended to halt fighting temporarily while the two countries worked toward a broader agreement.
The agreement has since broken down. The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, and U.S. forces struck Iranian sites Wednesday morning, marking the fifth attack in as many days.
