Trump Says Iran “Desperately” Wants Ceasefire Talks Amid Fresh Strikes

(WS News) – President Trump said Tuesday that Iran “desperately” wants to hold ceasefire talks, even as the United States and Iran continued to exchange strikes for more than a week, with mediators reportedly floating a 10-day pause in hostilities aimed at restarting negotiations.

Trump made the comments while meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House, insisting the war “is not yet over” despite the diplomatic overture. The proposed 10-day ceasefire would also include lifting restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, according to people familiar with the discussions, though it remains unclear how advanced the plan is or whether Washington is prepared to accept it.

The Pentagon has said nearly 100 US service members have suffered injuries, mostly minor, since fighting resumed on July 7, while a soldier killed in Iraq was identified as a 30-year-old father from North Carolina. The US has been increasing its military presence in the region, moving additional fighter jets and fuel tankers into the Middle East as the White House weighs its next steps.

The fighting has also disrupted shipping far beyond the Strait of Hormuz. A shipping executive said vessel owners are increasingly avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb strait in the Red Sea over threats from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, warning that oil prices could spike toward $150 a barrel if both key waterways become effectively closed to commercial traffic at the same time. Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan have all reported intercepting Iranian missiles or drones in recent days as the conflict continues to ripple across the wider region.