Trump says he does not want to extend Iran ceasefire

US President Donald Trump has said he does not want to extend a ceasefire with Iran that is set to expire on April 22, even as he expressed optimism that Washington would ultimately secure a “great deal” to end the ongoing conflict.

Asked during an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box whether he would extend the truce to allow time for negotiations, Trump replied, “Well, I don’t want to do that.”

Despite his reluctance to prolong the ceasefire, the US president predicted that a diplomatic breakthrough was still likely.

“I think we’re going to end up with a great deal with Iran,” Trump said, adding when asked what he expected from a second round of peace negotiations, “I think they have no choice.”

Trump also made claims about US military actions during the conflict, saying, “We’ve taken out their navy, we’ve taken out their air force, we’ve taken out their leaders.”

Expanding on those remarks, he added: “We’ve taken out their leaders, frankly, which does complicate things in one way, but these leaders are much more rational,” and suggested broader political consequences of the campaign, saying, “It is regime change, no matter what you want to call it, which is not something I said I was going to do, but I’ve done it indirectly.”

By Sabina Mammadli