Trump says Iran has not agreed to a U.S. deal because ‘they’re strong, they’re proud’

EXCLUSIVEIran warIran warTrump says Iran has not agreed to a U.S. deal because ‘they’re strong, they’re proud’In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Trump said he believed Iran now had roughly 21-22% of the missiles it did when the war started. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleExclusive: Trump says Iran hasn't made a deal because ‘they’re strong’ and ‘proud’03:08Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 5, 2026, 5:46 PM EDTBy Alexandra MarquezPresident Donald Trump on Friday said Iranian leaders have not yet reached a deal with the U.S. to end the ongoing war because they’re “strong” and “proud,” but ultimately, he added, “they’ve got no choice” except to reach an agreement.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“They’re strong, they’re proud, there are things they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do. They’ve got no choice, and it takes a little while,” the president told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker during a sit-down interview in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.Trump’s remarks come as U.S. and Iranian leaders have been negotiating to end the war, which entered its fourth month last week.The two nations agreed to a ceasefire in April that has been extended several times, though tensions flared in recent days when the U.S. and Iran traded strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday told House lawmakers that the ongoing military operation, which the Trump administration has dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” “has concluded.”He added that the strikes earlier in the week were “defensive in nature,” telling members of Congress that they came in response to Iran’s attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz.“In order to protect our own forces, we don’t just strike the drones, we strike the people who launch those drones. These are completely defensive in nature, but t...