Trump Rules Out Ceasefire With Iran, Says US And Israel Want ‘Victory’

Last Updated:March 21, 2026, 01:50 IST

Trump said a “lot of help” was needed to secure the vital waterway and that it “would be nice” if countries like China and Japan got involved.

US President Donald Trump ruled out a ceasefire with Iran, saying that Washington was not prepared to halt its military campaign while it held the upper hand on the battlefield.

“We can have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side… we’re not looking to do that,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.

The US President also sought to project unity with Israel over the conduct and timeline of the war. Asked whether Israel would be ready to end the war when he was, Trump replied simply, “I think so.”

“The relationship’s a very good one,” he said, adding, “We want, more or less, similar things.”

Trump was unequivocal about what both countries were seeking, saying, “You know what we want? We want victory, both of us, and that’s what we’ve got.”

Speaking on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said a “lot of help” was needed to secure the vital waterway and that it “would be nice” if countries like China and Japan got involved. He called reopening the strait “a simple military maneuver” that required ships and volume, saying NATO “so far hasn’t had the courage” to assist.

However, Trump also appeared to downplay the waterway’s direct importance to the United States, saying “we don’t use the Strait of Hormuz” in the way that European and Asian nations do- appearing to suggest the burden of securing it should fall more heavily on the countries most dependent on it.

The Strait of Hormuz normally carries around 20 per cent of global oil consumption. The conflict has reduced those flows to a trickle, pushing crude oil prices above $100 per barrel and prompting the International Energy Agency to describe the disruption as the largest in the history of the global oil market.

First Published:

March 21, 2026, 01:46 IST

News world Trump Rules Out Ceasefire With Iran, Says US And Israel Want ‘Victory’

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