{"id":37438,"date":"2026-03-26T17:19:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/37438\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T17:19:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:19:26","slug":"trump-insists-iran-is-begging-to-make-a-deal-after-tehran-dismisses-ceasefire-plan-national-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/37438\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump insists Iran is \u2018begging to make a deal\u2019 after Tehran dismisses ceasefire plan | National News"},"content":{"rendered":"

A day after Tehran dismissed<\/a> U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s 15-point ceasefire plan, the American leader claimed<\/a> that Iran was \u201cbegging to make a deal,\u201d and that he wasn\u2019t the one pushing for negotiations. Earlier Thursday, Trump told Tehran to \u201c get serious soon<\/a> \u201d on negotiating a deal to end the war.<\/p>\n

Iran has been blocking ships it perceives as linked to the U.S. and Israeli war effort from the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, but it’s letting a trickle of others through the crucial waterway. Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, of the Gulf Cooperation Council, a bloc of six Gulf Arab nations, said Iran was charging for safe passage through the strait.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the U.S. was preparing for the arrival of thousands of troops that could be used on the ground in Iran.<\/p>\n

The death toll from the war has risen to more than 1,900 people in Iran and nearly 1,100 people in Lebanon, with dozens more killed in Israel and elsewhere in the region. Thirteen US. military members have died. Millions of people in Lebanon and Iran have been displaced.<\/p>\n

Missile fire from Lebanon killed an Israeli man in a city on the northern coast<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s Magen David Adom emergency service says a man in his 30s was killed by shrapnel from a missile strike in Nahariya following a barrage from Lebanon.<\/p>\n

It said medics treated a man in his 50s who was in moderate to serious condition, and three people who were lightly wounded.<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s president arrives in Saudi Arabia after offering anti-drone help<\/p>\n

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Saudi Arabia on an unannounced visit, days after revealing that Ukraine is helping five countries in the Middle East counter attacks on their territory by drones amid the Iran war.<\/p>\n

Ukraine has grown into one of the world\u2019s leading producers of cutting-edge, battle-tested drone interceptors that are cheap and effective.<\/p>\n

\u201cArrived in Saudi Arabia. Important meetings are scheduled,\u201d the Ukrainian leader said on X Thursday along with video of his arrival. \u201cWe appreciate the support and support those who are ready to work with us to ensure security.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelenskyy said last week that Ukrainian officials are helping Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan with drone expertise and helping build a defense system.<\/p>\n

Trump says US \u2018doesn\u2019t need the Hormuz Strait\u2019<\/p>\n

Asked by a reporter how close he was to marshaling a coalition of partners to help protect tankers moving through the strait, Trump said the U.S. has \u201cso much oil \u2014 our country is not affected by this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The narrow waterway<\/a> typically sees a fifth of the world\u2019s oil exit the Persian Gulf through it to reach customers worldwide, particularly in Asia<\/a>, and blockages there have sent oil prices near $120 per barrel at times.<\/p>\n

And although it\u2019s true that the United States doesn\u2019t get a massive percentage of its oil from resources moving through the strait, the price of oil is set on the global market.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s stranglehold on the waterway has raised prices at the pump for drivers the world over. The nationwide average price of gas is up more than a dollar from just a month earlier.<\/p>\n

Trump is not ready to seek suspension of federal gas tax to help ease prices at the pump<\/p>\n

Asked by a reporter about that option during the Cabinet meeting, Trump said, \u201cwe\u2019ve thought about it, I guess\u201d and suggested that states suspend their taxes on fuel.<\/p>\n

He segued into talking about the stock market and was asked again about the possibility of suspending the federal gas tax, which is 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. That does not include state taxes, which often are higher.<\/p>\n

Trump cannot suspend the federal tax on his own; Congress would have to approve.<\/p>\n

But he indicated he wasn\u2019t ready to go that route at the federal level at this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something we have in our pocket if we think it\u2019s necessary,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

Trump calls the German president\u2019s condemnation of his actions in Iran \u2018inappropriate\u2019<\/p>\n

In a speech on Tuesday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Trump\u2019s aggression against Iran was a \u201cdangerous mistake\u201d in violation of international law.<\/p>\n

Taking questions from reporters during Thursday\u2019s Cabinet meeting, Trump likened Steinmeier\u2019s statement to the U.S. assistance to Ukraine in its war with Russia, which he said was \u201cnot our war, we helped, but Ukraine\u2019s done well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump, who as he campaigned for a second term said repeatedly he could swiftly end the Russia-Ukraine war, added, \u201cif I can solve that, it will be a great honor to do it. I wish it could have gone faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump claims Iran allowing Pakistan-flagged tankers through strait in sign of good faith for talks<\/p>\n

Trump earlier this week cryptically said that Iran \u201cgave us a present.\u201d He revealed the gift during Thursday\u2019s Cabinet meeting.<\/p>\n

Trump said that Iranian officials, with whom the U.S. is engaging in back-channel talks, are allowing \u201ceight boats of oil\u201d to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting it was an apparent act of good faith for negotiations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I guess we\u2019re dealing with the right people,\u201d said Trump, who indicated the tankers are operating under Pakistani flags.<\/p>\n

Israeli military says it has sent another division into Lebanon, expanding its operation against Hezbollah<\/p>\n

The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is expanding an area it controls along southern Lebanon\u2019s border with Israel, as Israeli troops push through more villages in the area and fight with Iran-allied Hezbollah militants.<\/p>\n

Israel has moved several thousand troops into southern Lebanon in recent weeks in what it says is a defensive move to protect its northern border communities from Hezbollah rocket and drone fire.<\/p>\n

Israel occupied southern Lebanon from 1982 until 2000. Hezbollah was formed in the 1980s as a guerrilla force fighting that occupation.<\/p>\n

Sirens in Israel<\/p>\n

Sirens sounded across central Israel and Jerusalem after the military reported a missile launch from Iran.<\/p>\n

Senior Hezbollah official condemns Lebanese government\u2019s decision to expel Iranian ambassador<\/p>\n

Mahmoud Qamati made the remarks at a protest beside Iran\u2019s Embassy in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where dozens of people gathered waving Hezbollah and Iranian flags.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmbassador (Mohammad Reza) Sheibani, the ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran, will stay in Lebanon and will not leave Lebanon no matter how much you try,\u201d Qamati said in a speech, condemning Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, a staunch opponent of Hezbollah, who made the decision to order the diplomat to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t play with fire, because this fire will burn you, your people, and those behind you,\u201d Qamati said.<\/p>\n

Hezbollah is Iran\u2019s key ally in Lebanon, and since the group\u2019s inception in 1982 it has relied heavily on Tehran for weapons and financial support.<\/p>\n

Bessent says Strait of Hormuz not a \u2018choke point\u2019 and that tanker ship traffic will increase<\/p>\n

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Iran, by restricting oil and natural gas shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, is \u201ctrying to take control of the global economy through a choke point that we believe does not exist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bessent\u2019s phrasing was misleading, as the Strait of Hormuz is critical for global shipments of oil and natural gas, especially for Asia, and energy prices have increased since the war with Iran began.<\/p>\n

Still, Bessent said that more tankers are making it through the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am confident that shipping traffic will continue to increase on a daily basis, even before we secure\u201d the strait, Bessent said.<\/p>\n

Explosions boom in Tehran<\/p>\n

Witnesses heard repeated explosions across most parts of Iran\u2019s capital, along with the activation of air defense systems. Very large blasts are also being reported.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s son-in-law says US negotiators ignore Iranians\u2019 public statements<\/p>\n

Speaking at a Saudi investment summit in Florida, Jared Kushner on Thursday echoed sentiments made by his negotiating partner Steve Witkoff in dismissing Iranians\u2019 public statements, saying it\u2019s often different than what is being communicated behind closed doors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing with the Iranians, and we\u2019re seeing this even now, is you have to … just ignore a lot of what they say publicly, because I think that their statements are usually more for their domestic audiences,\u201d Kushner, who has been volunteering as a U.S. peace envoy, told the audience at a Future Investment Initiative summit in Miami.<\/p>\n

His comments came shortly before Witkoff spoke at Trump\u2019s Cabinet meeting, where he said that despite Iranians assertions that there is no communication with Washington during the ongoing war, the U.S. has presented a 15-point \u201caction list\u201d where there is a \u201cpossibility\u201d for a deal between the longtime adversaries.<\/p>\n

Did Rubio do a Chuck D callback while talking about Iran?<\/p>\n

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is a noted fan of 1990s rap.<\/p>\n

During Thursday\u2019s Cabinet meeting, his remarks appeared to borrow a bit from Public Enemy\u2019s \u201cWelcome to the Terrordome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chuck D raps in the track off of the eponymous album \u201cFear of a Black Planet,\u201d \u201cI got so much trouble on my mind\/ I refuse to lose\/Here\u2019s your ticket\/Hear the drummer get wicked\/The crew to you to push the back to Black.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubio, Trump\u2019s chief diplomat, offered, \u201cBut every day the Department of War lets the drummer get wicked over every portion of Iran that has these military capabilities, and the results are going to bear fruit for the world,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n

Iran is ready for \u2018any scenario\u2019, ambassador says<\/p>\n

The top Iranian envoy to U.N. institutions in Geneva has warned in an interview that any attempt by Israel and the United States to mount a ground invasion of Iran would be a \u201cbig\u201d mistake.<\/p>\n

Ali Bahreini says Iran is winning the war, and has forced the U.S. and Israel to back off their initial goals. He says those have now been reduced to trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for shipments to countries dependent on oil from the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n

Bahreini also says Iran\u2019s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is \u201csafe\u201d and running the country. Khamenei has not been seen or directly heard from since he was named to replace his slain father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n

Asked why Khamenei hasn\u2019t been seen, the ambassador cited \u201csecurity arrangements which are very necessary for this particular time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth says Iran conflict will be part of Trump\u2019s legacy<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is stuff for the history books; This is stuff for legacy,\u201d the U.S. defense secretary said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday.<\/p>\n

As part of his praise for the decision to engage in the conflict, Hegseth claimed that Iran had \u201ca modern military\u201d but that \u201cnever in recorded history has a nation\u2019s military been so quickly and so effectively neutralized.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth says Iran war is \u2018unlike Iraq\u2019<\/p>\n

The U.S. defense secretary said Thursday that the war in Iran is \u201cunlike Iraq. This isn\u2019t a tie. This is not parity. This is not chaos. This is success. Pure American success.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hegseth spoke as he sat next to Trump at a Cabinet meeting. Hegseth noted that the war\u2019s objectives \u201cremain clear: No nukes, no navy, and complete dismantling of their missile program and defense industrial base.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump noted that the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world\u2019s oil normally flows, remained effectively closed because of the war, although the president predicted the waterway will open up.<\/p>\n

US Vice President JD Vance says the destruction of the Iranian military gives the US \u2018options\u2019<\/p>\n

Addressing the Cabinet, Vance asserted that the \u201cconventional military\u201d in Iran has been \u201ceffectively destroyed\u201d during the war.<\/p>\n

Echoing Trump, Vance said Iran no longer has a navy and \u201cthey don\u2019t have the ability to hit us like they could of even a few weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what that does is that gives us options,\u201d Vance said.<\/p>\n

He did not go into detail about those options.<\/p>\n

Trump envoy confirms a 15-point ceasefire plan was presented to Iran, indicates a strong possibility a deal can happen<\/p>\n

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said the U.S. has presented a 15-point \u201caction list\u201d to Iran, delivered through Pakistan as a framework for a possible peace deal.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the first time the Trump administration has confirmed the 15-point plan.<\/p>\n

Witkoff made the comment Thursday at a Cabinet meeting. He added that Trump directed Witkoff to \u201cmaintain confidentiality\u201d as the administration reached out, citing sensitive diplomatic discussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a deal happens, it will be great for the country of Iran, the entire region and the world at large,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

US commander says killing of Iranian naval chief sends force into \u2018irreversible decline\u2019<\/p>\n

The top U.S. commander in the Middle East on Thursday hailed an Israeli strike that Israel earlier said killed Iranian naval commander Alireza Tangsiri.<\/p>\n

Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, said Tangsiri\u2019s killing put Iran\u2019s navy on a path toward \u201cirreversible decline\u201d after weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes that he said destroyed most of its larger ships and stripped it of much of its ability to project power.<\/p>\n

He warned that the United States would keep striking naval targets in Iran. Though the U.S. claims to have destroyed most of Iran\u2019s naval capabilities, it has smaller boats capable of laying mines and anti-ship cruise missiles that can be launched from ashore.<\/p>\n

Iran did not immediately acknowledge Tangsiri\u2019s killing.<\/p>\n

Palestinians mourn another man killed after car flips into valley<\/p>\n

Palestinians on Thursday mourned a man killed a day earlier during an attack by Israeli soldiers and settlers.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it responded Wednesday to reports of beatings and tear gas. Witnesses told The Associated Press they\u2019d been trying to return to the village of Umm al-Kheir but were blocked by a closed military gate and came under fire.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s military said a group of vehicles had fled a checkpoint and then lost control, veering off road. It said in a statement that forces fired warning shots in the air as part of an effort to apprehend those in the vehicles. It did not say whether anyone was apprehended.<\/p>\n

Israel has erected hundreds of new military gates and checkpoints over the past two and a half years, as part of a broader effort that Palestinians say is to stifle their movement in the occupied West Bank. Violence \u2014 often fatal \u2014 has surged in the territory as attention and scrutiny has shifted elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Trump says he\u2019ll announce actions on Friday to help US farmers<\/p>\n

The president told his cabinet he plans to roll out a \u201cvariety\u201d of policies \u201cto support American farmers,\u201d as the war with Iran has increased the cost of fertilizer during planting season.<\/p>\n

Trump emphasized that he previously supported farmers by giving them $12 billion in aid when the agricultural sector faced blowback last year after his tariffs started a trade war.<\/p>\n

Trump insists Iran is \u2018begging\u2019 to make a deal<\/p>\n

The president, speaking at the start of a Thursday cabinet meeting, said he wanted to \u201cset the record straight\u201d that he isn\u2019t the one pushing for a deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re begging to make a deal, not me,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

Iranian officials have denied that they\u2019re negotiating with the U.S. as the war continues in its fourth week. Trump insisted they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnybody would know they\u2019re talking,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re not fools, they\u2019re very smart actually in a certain way. And they\u2019re great negotiators. I say they\u2019re lousy fighters but they\u2019re great negotiators.\u201d<\/p>\n

Houthi leader reiterates support for Iran and calls for solidarity protests<\/p>\n

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi reiterated the group\u2019s condemnation against the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, describing it as \u201cunjustifiable,\u201d and called for solidarity protests on Friday in Sanaa, Yemen\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

During a lengthy televised speech posted on Telegram on Thursday, the Iran-backed Houthi leader said the Iran war destabilized the region and impacted the global economy, accusing the U.S. and Israel of ignoring such consequences.<\/p>\n

Al-Houthi didn\u2019t mention whether the armed rebel group would fight alongside Iran but said \u201cany developments in the fight that necessitate a military response will be met with complete trust in God and reliance upon Him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur position is clear and unequivocal against America and Israel, and hold no hostile intentions towards any Muslim country,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Since the war began nearly a month ago, Houthis maintained their support for Iran through statements and protests, despite playing an active role in the Israel-Hamas war when they upended shipping in the Red Sea<\/a>, through which about $1 trillion worth of goods passed each year before the war.<\/p>\n

Stocks swing and oil prices rise as Iran talks look uncertain<\/p>\n

The stock market wavered Thursday as hopes for an end to the Iran war faded and oil prices surged, with the S&P 500 falling 0.4%, the Nasdaq dropping 0.6% and the Dow little changed. The moves were the latest in a week of volatile swings driven by shifting signals around ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran.<\/p>\n

A barrel of Brent crude oil climbed 3.8% to $100.93 as hopes dimmed for a potential return to normal for the strait. That\u2019s up from roughly $70 before the war began. Benchmark U.S. crude climbed 3% to $93.05 per barrel.<\/p>\n

Rising energy prices have lifted oil and natural gas companies while worsening worries about inflation and weighing on sectors in which higher energy costs threaten to curb demand, including for steel and other industrial goods.<\/p>\n

Uganda\u2019s \u2018tweeting general\u2019 posts about backing Israel if asked to join the war<\/p>\n

Uganda\u2019s top general threatened to join the widening war in the Middle East, warning \u201cany talk of destroying or defeating Israel will bring us into the war. On the side of Israel!\u201d<\/p>\n

In a series of posts Thursday, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, chief of Uganda\u2019s Defense Forces, said Uganda would be willing to come to Israel\u2019s assistance if asked, citing the Bible as a basis for the deeply Christian East African nation\u2019s support.<\/p>\n

The country has a robust military known for campaigns against militias in Congo and for supplying troops to international forces, including in Somalia. Kainerugaba is known as Uganda\u2019s \u201ctweeting general\u201d<\/a> and was fired by his father, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, in 2022 over provocative posts about faraway wars.<\/p>\n

Israel has in recent years attempted to expand its economic inroads in East Africa, including in Somaliland<\/a>, a breakaway territory in the Horn of Africa, across the Gulf of Aden from Houthi-controlled Yemen. Israel developed an alliance with Uganda decades ago when its early leaders sought allies outside the Middle East.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A day after Tehran dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s 15-point ceasefire plan, the American leader claimed that Iran…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[12814,327,328,1744,38,197,100,379,1743,34,16277,196,37,93,210,39,81,1657,4722,463,2017,101,69,782,14266,200,771,1102,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-37438","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tehran","8":"tag-2026-iran-war","9":"tag-ali-khamenei","10":"tag-business","11":"tag-choke-point","12":"tag-donald-trump","13":"tag-general-news","14":"tag-hezbollah","15":"tag-houthis","16":"tag-international-relations","17":"tag-iran","18":"tag-iran-israel-us-latest-march-26-2026","19":"tag-iran-war","20":"tag-israel","21":"tag-lebanon","22":"tag-marco-rubio","23":"tag-persian-gulf","24":"tag-politics","25":"tag-politics-of-the-middle-east","26":"tag-price-of-oil","27":"tag-religion","28":"tag-steve-witkoff","29":"tag-strait-of-hormuz","30":"tag-tehran","31":"tag-u-s-news","32":"tag-uganda","33":"tag-war-and-unrest","34":"tag-washington-news","35":"tag-wire","36":"tag-world-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116296624602718983","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}