President Donald Trump during a Wednesday cabinet meeting addressed the war in Iran and the status of the peace negotiations.
During the meeting, a reporter asked whether the upcoming midterm elections will influence his approach to the conflict with the Iranian regime. "I don't care about the midterms,” Trump said. “Look what happened last night. That was the prelude to the midterms. People understand that. They know that. Very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I'm doing that for the world. I'm not doing it just for us."
Trump was referencing news that the Iranian regime could be trying to wait out the Trump administration until after the November elections, hoping it would result in a more favorable peace agreement.
The progress of the negotiations have been mixed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said recently that they are making “slight progress” in the peace talks. During the cabinet meeting, Trump said the talks are going “very well,” but also issued a caveat: If the talks collapse, War Secretary Pete Hegseth is prepared to resume devastating airstrikes.
“They are starting to give us the things that they have to give us, and if they do, that’s great,” he said. “And if they won’t, then the man on my left is going to finish ’em off.”
TRUMP calls Iran's bluff on waiting to get a deal until after the midterms:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 27, 2026
"I don't care about the midterms. Look what happened last night. That was the prelude to the midterms. People understand that. They know that. Very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I'm doing… pic.twitter.com/ixVbTqhzhe
The president didn’t give a timeframe for when he expects the war to end, but said it would happen “quickly.”
“The problem is, every time I mention a time frame — for instance… we’ve been doing this for a few months,” the president explained. “Vietnam lasted 19 years. Korea lasted eight years. Afghanistan lasted many years. They were all many, many years. And we’re into it for a few months. And I read about you, people like you, [saying] ‘What’s taking so long?'”
BREAKING: Iran rejects Trump's new comments "the Strait is going to be open to everybody, US will watch over it, but nobody's going to control it" saying the Strait remains permanently closed, with Iran retaining "full sovereign control" over it and "preserve its nuclear… https://t.co/GF3RAcGXgy
— Conflict Alarm (@ConflictAlarm) May 27, 2026
Trump indicated that he was open to allowing more time for diplomacy to run its course. Meanwhile, Iran put forth a draft proposal on Wednesday. It said Iran would agree to end its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and demand that the United States withdraw its military forces from the region and to end its naval blockade of the waterway.
However, Washington has rebuffed the regime’s demands, saying they do not meet the terms it demanded.