The comment comes after seven months of conflict between Iran and the U.S. President Trump told Axios on Sunday he expects talks with Iran to resume this week. He again claimed Iran is "losing badly" and wants to reach a peace deal.
Last week, Iran floated a seven-day ceasefire along with a phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, tied to the U.S. Meeting conditions from an earlier agreement that fell apart after several weeks.
The standoff leaves both sides publicly staking out hardline positions, yet the door to talks remains open. For Iran, the choice it's putting to Trump, war or diplomacy, puts pressure on Washington to make the next move. For the U.S., Trump's insistence that Iran is desperate for a deal suggests he thinks waiting Tehran out gives him the upper hand rather than rushing back to the table.
The Strait of Hormuz sits at the center of the dispute, a waterway that carries a massive share of the world's oil shipments, meaning any resumed fighting or renewed ceasefire talk carries stakes well beyond the two countries involved.