US President Donald Trump on Saturday said Iran is not ready to agree to what he considers the right deal, as the nearly six-month-old war between the two countries continues. Trump said Iran “would love to make a deal. But they are not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion.”

He also said US military options in the region remained open. “It just means that we’re seeing what happens,” he said. “They have no money, they have no navy, they have no air force. They are not paying their soldiers, they are not paying their police. They have 350% inflation. So we are just going to see what happens.”

Trump said the US had “total control of that entire region having to do with the Strait of Hormuz”, adding that this extended “well into it, the land areas”.

The conflict is approaching its six-month mark, with Washington and Tehran continuing to bet that they can outlast each other. The prolonged fighting has also placed growing pressure on the US military, including its ships, sailors and Marines.

Trump has repeatedly said the war would be resolved quickly and has previously predicted it would be over “very soon”.

Trump Claims Control of Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz has become a central point of tension in the conflict. Trump said this week that he wanted to claim the strategic waterway and posted a map on Truth Social labelling it “US territory”.

He has also threatened to “bomb the shit” out of Oman, which has committed billions of dollars to buying US weapons.

Meanwhile, the US Navy is facing the strain of prolonged deployments. The USS George Washington was reportedly being sent to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The Abraham Lincoln has spent more than 250 days at sea, with reports emerging that several distressed service members had tried to jump overboard.

The extended deployments have drawn attention to the pressures facing US ships, sailors, Marines and their families.

Iran’s President Says War Must End

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that the war with the US would eventually have to end. “It is better to end the war today, while we are strong and honored, while the entire world acknowledges our victory and emphasizes that America, contrary to all regulations, attacked our schools, hospitals and infrastructure and is hated around the world,” he said.

Speaking at the 31st General Assembly of the Islamic Association of Iran’s Medical Community, Pezeshkian also acknowledged growing public dissatisfaction as the war and economic pressures make everyday life more difficult.

“If there is dissatisfaction or grievance in society, it means that we have not acted as we should have,” he said.

Economic Pressure Grows

Pezeshkian said US sanctions and the naval blockade of Iranian ports and associated vessels had disrupted imports and exports. He also questioned the sustainability of the government’s fuel subsidies.

“Who said the government should buy gasoline at 130,000 tomans ($0.10) and then sell it for 1,500 tomans ($0.0011)?” he said.

He warned that continuing such policies could leave the government with less money for other essential programmes, including food subsidies and insurance.

That, he said, could threaten the livelihoods of workers, retirees and civil servants.

With Washington insisting that Tehran must agree to a deal on US terms, and Iran facing mounting economic pressure, there is little sign yet that the two sides are close to ending the conflict.