Don’t care: Trump reacts to Iran suspending talks over Israeli attacks on Lebanon

Speaking to CNBC, Trump made clear he was not overly concerned about the possible collapse of negotiations.

“I don’t care if they’re over, honestly,” Trump said during a phone interview.

“I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less,” he added when asked about reports that Iran had decided to halt communications with the United States through mediators.

IRAN PUTS TALKS ON HOLD

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran’s negotiating team had suspended exchanges of messages with the United States through mediators in protest to Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Gaza.

Iranian alleged that conditions tied to the ceasefire have been violated because Israeli attacks in Lebanon continue. The agency reported that no further talks would take place until Iran’s demands are addressed.

“Given the continuation of the Israeli regime’s attacks in Lebanon, and considering that Lebanon had been one of the preconditions for a ceasefire — which has now been violated on all fronts, including Lebanon — the Iranian negotiating team is suspending ‘talks and exchanges of texts through mediators,'” Tasnim reported.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi repeated that position in a post on X. “The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” he wrote.

TRUMP SAYS US CAN AFFORD TO WAIT

Despite the diplomatic setback, Trump said he was in no rush to reach an agreement with Tehran. In a separate interview with NBC News, the US President said he had not been informed in advance about Iran’s decision.

“It’s an appropriate thing to say, because they’re better negotiators than they are fighters,” Trump told NBC News. “But they haven’t informed us of that.”

The Republican leader also stated that a pause in communication might not be a bad thing.

“I think we’ve been talking too much, if you want to know the truth. I think going silent would be very good,” he said.

Trump sought to reassure that Iran’s decision to suspend talks would not trigger an immediate military response from the US.

“It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there. We’ll just go silent. We’ll keep the blockade. Blockade is a piece of steel,” he added.

SHIPPING ROUTES IN DANGER

The diplomatic freeze has also raised concerns about global trade routes.

Tasnim reported that Iran and the so-called “Resistance Front,” which includes allied groups in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq, are discussing plans to completely block the Strait of Hormuz and activate pressure on other fronts, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Both waterways are among the most important maritime routes in the world. The Strait of Hormuz handles a large share of global oil exports, while Bab el-Mandeb serves as a key gateway connecting the Red Sea to the Suez Canal.

Trump, however, dismissed concerns that oil markets could face lasting disruption.

After reports of Iran’s threat to block Hormuz pushed oil prices higher, he said he expected the trend to reverse.

“I think the oil will be dropping like a rock in the very near, you know, the very near distance,” he said.

– Ends

With inputs from agencies