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U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Iran’s president wants a ceasefire in the Mideast war.
“Iran’s New Regime President,” he wrote on Truth Social, apparently referring to Masoud Pezeshkian, though he has had the job since 2024 and there has been no regime change in Iran, “much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE!”
“We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”
Trump did not elaborate. He is due to address Americans from the White House tonight at 9 p.m. ET.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry called Trump’s claim “false and baseless.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi recently signalled Tehran’s willingness to keep fighting.
“You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera that aired late Tuesday. “We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.”
Trump has previously said talks were going well and that Iran was “desperate” for a deal, while Tehran has denied being in any direct negotiations.
Trump said last week he would pause strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure, giving Iran until April 6 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which it has largely blocked, roiling the world’s energy markets.
Thousands displaced
At least 13 American troops have been killed in the month-long war, according to U.S. figures, while roughly 3,500 people have been killed in Iran, according to estimates from the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Further, around 180,000 Iranian families have been displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), though it’s difficult to determine an exact figure.
Amy Pope, IOM’s director general, says the agency expects that figure to increase as more civilian infrastructure gets caught in the crossfire.
Pope also warned about the impact on migrants working in Iran who might not be guaranteed the same safety as Iranians.
“This is the kind of hidden consequence of a conflict like this. There are people … who are not necessarily accounted for and … won’t have the support they need,” she said.
