US-Iran war: Trump explains why Tehran deal is taking time, says Hormuz blockade costs Iran $500M a day

US President Donald Trump has said that reaching a new agreement with Iran will take time, defended his approach to negotiations with Tehran and indicated that the United States has no immediate plans to withdraw troops from the region despite the country's weakened military capabilities.

In an interview, Trump argued that Iran would eventually have to change long-held positions toward the United States, while maintaining that any future agreement would not involve the immediate release of frozen Iranian assets.

Trump says negotiations require patience

Addressing calls for a quick resolution to the conflict, Trump said reaching an agreement with Iran would take time because it requires a significant shift in Tehran's long-standing approach toward the United States.


"Because they're strong. They're proud," Trump said of the Iranians. "There are things they never thought they'd be doing that they're going to have to do. They've got no choice. And it takes a little while. You know, you're talking about 47 years of getting away with whatever they wanted."

Trump argued that decades of hostility between the two countries have made negotiations more complicated and said a lasting agreement cannot be achieved immediately.

Trump defends blockade on Iran

Trump also defended the US blockade on Iran, describing it as a highly effective measure that has inflicted significant economic pressure on Tehran.

"We have a blockade. It's been extremely effective and the reason we have it is they tried to blockade and now we blockaded them," Trump said.

He claimed the blockade was costing Iran between $400 million and $500 million per day and described it as the "ultimate blockade."

The remarks come as the US continues to maintain pressure on Iran amid ongoing negotiations and regional tensions.

Trump comments on Mojtaba Khamenei's condition

Trump also commented on the condition of Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained largely out of public view.

"I don't want to say whether or not I know where he is, but there's a good probability that I do," Trump said. "He's very seriously injured."

The comments add to ongoing speculation surrounding Khamenei's condition following the conflict.

Public opposition to war remains high

The comments come as public opinion polls continue to show broad opposition to the conflict.

According to an Economist/YouGov survey released this week, 68 per cent of US adults said the United States should reach an agreement to end the war in Iran as quickly as possible. The survey also found that 55 per cent of voters who supported Trump in the 2024 election shared that view.

Trump had campaigned in part on the claim that he started no new wars during his first term in office.

Trump criticises Obama-era nuclear agreement

Trump blamed previous administrations for Iran's development of a nuclear weapons programme and renewed criticism of the nuclear agreement reached during the administration of Barack Obama.

The deal, negotiated by a six-nation group that included China and Russia, limited Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions and access to frozen assets.

Trump, who withdrew the United States from the agreement during his first term, said any future deal would not immediately restore access to frozen Iranian funds.

He said discussions about releasing assets would only take place later and would depend on Iran's conduct.

Trump also criticised the transfer of $400 million to Iran following the signing of the original agreement, describing it as part of a broader policy he opposed.

President defends first-term approach

Asked why he did not secure a replacement agreement during his first presidency, Trump said Iran was not ready at the time.

He maintained that the current situation offers a better opportunity for negotiations and argued that agreements of this scale often require years to complete.

Trump also referred to decades of conflict between Iran and the United States, saying the long history of hostilities has complicated diplomatic efforts.

No immediate plans to withdraw US troops

Despite describing Iran's military capabilities as significantly weakened, Trump said the United States would keep its forces in the region for the foreseeable future.

He stated that Iran's military infrastructure had been heavily damaged and estimated that only a fraction of its pre-war missile stockpile remains.

However, Trump said the presence of approximately 50,000 US troops in the region would continue, arguing that maintaining the deployment involves relatively little cost.

He added that withdrawing forces at this stage would be unwise and suggested that the military presence could provide leverage in future negotiations with Tehran.